The Tiger King
by taawoos-azraq
Summary: India AU. What if The Lion King took place in India and the animals are replaced of that of the Indian species there? A retelling of The Lion King tale, but taking place in India.
1. Characters and Locations

**I don't own The Lion King. Copyright goes to Disney.**

**Please ignore the cover if it looks horrible. And my username is cut off in half. I'm sorry for that to happen. I like the final product of the cover, but this website had to mess it up. Oh well.**

**I had been thinking of an alternate AU for The Lion King to take place in India ever since I was in middle school and that was 11 years ago. I had drawn what would it look like of it back then, but the drawings are probably lost. And now, I finally get to write it.**

* * *

**Characters**

Simba - Singham (lion); Bengal tiger

Nala - Neethi (truth); Bengal tiger

Mufasa - Mustafa (elected); Bengal tiger

Scar (same name); Bengal tiger

Sarabi - Sahiba (queen, companion); Bengal tiger

Zazu - Zaceev (loyal); great Indian hornbill

Timon - Tamash (ignorance); Indian grey mongoose

Pumbaa - Pravraj (wanderer); Indian boar

Rafiki - Ripun (expert in everything); western hoolock gibbon

Shenzi - Shikaar (hunter); Indian dhole

Banzai - Bandi (manly); Indian dhole

Ed - Hans (laughter; short for Hansi); Indian dhole

**Locations**

Main setting - Madhya Pradesh, India

Pride Rock - Ambush Temple: A large temple where the tigers reside.

Pride Lands - Ambush Lands: The lands and territory of the animals that live there; full of luscious grass, clean water and teeming with a variety of animals.

Elephant Graveyard (same name): An abandoned and spooky area full of elephant bones and where the dholes live.

Wildebeest Gorge - Buffalo Gorge: A large rocky gorge with grassland and forest at the top.

Rafiki's Tree - Ripun's Tree: A large banyan tree in the shape of a mushroom where Ripun lives and does most of his work there.

Jungle Oasis - Desert Oasis: A place far from the Ambush Lands and it's less of sand and more of bushes and trees. One could call it paradise, even for a certain mongoose and boar.

* * *

**I wrote a characters and locations page of what the fanfic will be like and it will help you if you get confused. I will write a chapter for the fanfic tomorrow and upload it soon.**

**I had to change the characters' names and turn them into Indian names with meanings that fit the characters' personalities from the original film. I hope you understand. I haven't thought of what Nala's mom's name would be. Most of the names chosen are Hindi, Tamil, Assamese, etc.**

**I know Mufasa's AU name is Mustafa which is Arabic, but don't be mad that I chose that for his name.**

**It's funny that in Swahili, Simba means "lion", and for the tiger version of him, I chose Singham which means "lion" in Tamil.**

**Did you know a group of tigers is called an ambush or a streak? Ambush is much better than streak. Normally, tigers are solitary and don't live in groups, but in here, they do.**


	2. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

**Here, the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It is 2 am from where I am and staying up late is really messing me up. Good night.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The sun rose out into the Indian sky, signifying a new day. Before that, a tiger named Mustafa roared out to call all the animals to Ambush Temple, a large temple made of stone where the tigers lived. It's surrounded by jungles and forests, plains of green grass, and rocks. The temple is ruled by a king and he rules over the Ambush Lands, patrolling for any danger and for the safety of the animals. His wife, the queen, recently gave birth to a cub and he was happy for his cub was going to be the future king after him, so he roared out to call the animals to see his son and their future king.

The animals woke up to the sound of the roar and to the sunlight in their eyes. All kinds of animals, from the biggest elephant to the smallest ant, heard the roar and went to the direction of it. Birds flew, elephants walked, blackbucks leaped, deer ran, even the camels from the plains and deserts heard the roar and walked into the jungle. All the animals crossed from land, water, and sky to reach Ambush Temple. A great Indian hornbill named Zaceev flew over to see the multitude of animals walking over to the temple and he landed on the balcony where the king stood on. The tiger's fur was orange colored with white underparts and dark black stripes. His eyes were red, which made him look menacing even though he was a respected king.

The hornbill was the king's advisor and he bowed down before the tiger king. The bird looked up and saw the tiger nod and smile back at him. Mustafa looked over to see herds of animals crowded near the temple. There were Asian elephants, camels, sloth bears, rhinos, Axis deer, blackbucks, water buffalo, gaurs, peafowl, langurs, parakeets, leopards, junglefowl, and all sorts of wildlife. There was one animal that he saw was coming over to the temple. It was a black gibbon that carried a stick with fruits tied to it. That was Ripun, the priest and he came over to bless the newborn cub and present him to the animals. Herds of gaurs saw him and knew he is the priest, so they let him pass. Herds of deer, buffalo, and antelope saw him go and respected him as Ripun was a devout and religious animal.

Ripun climbed up to the temple, watching his step and reached the balcony to see Mustafa. The gibbon and tiger hugged as they saw each other. They both went inside to see other tigers waiting for them. Sitting on a stony throne was Sahiba, the queen. Her fur was the color of tangerines, white underparts and soot-colored stripes. Her eyes were sparkling like rubies. The king nuzzled his wife and the queen was holding their newborn cub, with fur the color of oranges and less stripes. They had named him Singham.

Sahiba licked him to wake him up and the cub turned to look at Ripun, who was smiling to seeing the adorable cub. He took his stick and shook it like a rattle near the future king. Singham reached out his paws to touch the fruit. Ripun then took one of the fruits and ripped it in half. He took some pasty juice in the fruit with his thumb and put it on the cub's forehead. The gibbon then took dirt nearby and put it on the cub's face. The little baby sneezed, and his parents smiled at their son.

Ripun then took the cub out of his mother's paws and walked over to the balcony. When the animals saw Ripun walk over to the balcony with Singham in his hands, they were ready to see their new king. When Ripun met the railing, he showed the cub to the rest of the animals. Everybody cheered. The deer and antelope jumped, the elephants trumpeted, the monkeys screeched, the wild donkeys brayed and stomped the dust with their hooves, the peafowl cried, about every animal who attended the celebration cheered in their own way. Singham stared at all the animals cheering and applauding for him.

In the skies, a beam of sunlight shined down on Singham and the animals saw that it was a blessing from above. Every single animal bowed down in respect for the little cub, from the small ant to the large elephant. Mustafa and Sahiba walked over to Ripun who was still holding the cub as the beam of sunlight shined on the future king. They believed that their son, Singham, would make a great king in the next generation. But there is someone who would stand in his way of becoming king.

* * *

After the presentation was over, all the animals left and Ripun gave Singham back to Sahiba and went back to his tree. In another part of the temple, in the back, there was a mouse coming out of a little cave sniffing the air and cleaning its face. It stopped when it smelled something dangerous. It ran off quickly, but a large paw with black, sharp claws emerging out of it stomped on it. It belonged to a tiger with fur the color of fire and eyes the color of light green, like the color of mossy water shining in the sunlight. What was distinctive about that tiger was the scar on his left eye. He was nicknamed "Scar" because of that.

Scar picked up the mouse as it tried to scurry away from the tiger. He brought it up to his face and said, "Life's not fair, is it? You see, I, well I, shall never be king." The mouse got on the fingers of the tiger and crawled away, but Scar managed to catch the mouse from scurrying away and gave a little chuckle. "And you," Scar spoke to the mouse, "shall never see the light of another day. _Alvida _(Goodbye)." The tiger opened his mouse and was about to put the mouse in it but was stopped by a Punjabi accented voice. Scar hated that voice and knew it was from his brother's advisor, Zaceev.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Zaceev asked to the tiger who put the mouse in his paw to prevent it from escaping.

"What do you want?" Scar asked with annoyance.

"I'm here to pronounce that king Mustafa is on his way, so you better have a good excuse for missing the ceremony this morning."

As the tiger was distracted by the hornbill's annoyance, the mouse slipped out of Scar's paws and ran out of the temple room through a crack. "Oh, now look, Zaceev. You made me lose my lunch," Scar spoke in fake disappointment.

"Ha!" Zaceev scoffed. "You'll lose more than that when the king gets through with you. He's as mad as a mother bear."

"Oooh, I quiver with FEAR!" Scar spoke in sarcasm and in a creepy tone. Zaceev didn't like it at all when he saw Scar creeping up at him and with that sinister smile he gave.

"Now, Scar, don't look at me that way." Zaceev backed up a little, then flew away screaming "HELP!" as Scar opened his wide mouth and closed it with the bird inside him. Before he could devour him, he was stopped by a voice that sounded deep and intimidating yet regal.

"Scar?" The scarred tiger turned to see that it was his big brother, Mustafa, who was standing in the doorway. "Drop him."

The hornbill's beak poked out of Scar's mouth and said, "Impeccable timing, Your Majesty." Scar did as Mustafa told him to. He opened his mouth to release Zaceev. The bird gave out a disgusted groan as he saw all around his body was saliva.

Scar walked over to his brother and spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Why, if it isn't my big brother descending from on high to mingle with the commoners."

"Sahiba and I didn't see you at the presentation of Singham," Mustafa spoke with a glare on his face.

"That was today?" Scar acted surprised. "Oh, I feel simply awful." Scar scratched on the temple's stone bricks making a screeching sound, causing Zaceev to cringe. "It must have slipped my mind."

Zaceev then began to fly in front of Scar's face. Scar wasn't gonna take anymore of Zaceev acting brave in front of Mustafa. "Yes. Well, as slippery as your mind is, as the king's brother, you should've been first in line!" Scar snapped his teeth in front of Zaceev and the hornbill flew back in fear and hid behind Mustafa's paw.

"Well, I was first in line, until the little hairball was born," Scar spoke to Zaceev, who winced when he saw the tiger's face go near the bird.

"That _hairball_ is my son, and _your_ future king," Mustafa firmly said to Scar.

"Oh, I shall practice my curtsy," Scar spoke in a sarcastic tone. He then turned to walk out the exit of the room.

"Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" Mustafa growled. Scar was starting to get on the king's nerves.

"Oh, no, Mustafa," Scar turned to look at his brother and walk out of the room. "Perhaps _you _shouldn't turn your back on me."

Mustafa roared and ran in front of his younger brother who froze when he saw his older brother's furious glare at him. "IS THAT A CHALLENGE?!" Mustafa shouted.

"Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you."

"Pity," Zaceev added as he got between the two tigers. "Why not?"

Scar answered Zaceev, "Well, as far as brains go, I've got the tiger's share, but when it comes to brute strength, I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool." Scar then left the temple room, walking into the jungle to who knows where.

"There's one in every family, sire," Zaceev sighed. "Two in mine, actually. And they always manage to ruin special occasions." Zaceev flew onto Mustafa's shoulder, watching Scar go off.

"What am I gonna do with him?" Mustafa asked to himself or to Zaceev, who knows.

"He'd make a very handsome throw rug," Zaceev said with a grin.

"Zaceev!" Mustafa joined the grinning bird with a smile forming on his face.

"And just think, whenever he gets dirty, you can take him out and beat him."

Mustafa laughed at the joke as the tiger walked back to the main temple with the hornbill flying with him.

* * *

Later that night, the rains had come falling onto the Ambush Lands. Far from the temple in a giant banyan tree, shaped like a mushroom, lives Ripun the gibbon. In the protective roots of the tree, Ripun was painting a tiger cub on one of the roots. He used the paste of the fruit to rub on the painting of the tiger's forehead.

"Singham," the old ape chuckled. He smiled more for he knew the tiger cub was going to do great things for the kingdom.


	3. Chapter 2: The Morning Lesson

Chapter 2: The Morning Lesson

Three months passed by and Singham was growing into a healthy young cub. More stripes were showing on his fur. Singham went out to the balcony to see the sun about to rise. Shades of orange and pink were mixing with the purple sky. Singham could hear the peacock cry, waking the animals up for a brand-new day. Today was the day that Mustafa would show Singham the kingdom and the responsibilities of being the new king. Singham ran inside the temple and rushed downstairs to find his parents.

"Dad! Dad!" Singham shouted. He saw his father and mother sleeping on one spot with other tigers surrounding them. "Come on, Dad! We gotta go! Wake up!" The tiger cub jumped between some sleepy tigers and pounced on one's stomach before he apologized. Singham then got to his father's side. "Dad?" He kept on repeating "Dad" so many times to make his snoring father wake up.

"Your son is awake," Sahiba sleepily spoke to Mustafa.

"Before sunrise, he's _your_ son," the sleepy king spoke to his queen, while their son kept on repeating "Dad".

"Dad? Come on, Dad." Singham pulled on his father's ear, but his father wasn't budging that Singham slipped and crashed onto some bones as Mustafa's strength was too great. The cub rammed into his father's face and that was when he woke up. "You promised!" Singham whined. Mustafa was half awake when he saw his son's angry pouty face meeting his eyes.

"Okay, okay. I'm up," Mustafa said. Singham cheered and ran out of the sleeping place of his parents. Mustafa yawned loudly, which woke up his wife. The two parents then followed the cub who was waiting near stairs which lead to the top of the temple. Singham ran between his mother's legs and Sahiba pushed him gently with her muzzle. Mustafa walked up the stairs with the excited prince following him. Sahiba watched the two tigers proceeding upstairs, smiling that Mustafa was going to teach him the ways of the kingdom.

The father and son tigers reached up some stairs and floors until they have reached the roof of the temple. The sun was shining bright on their faces and Singham could see all the kingdom. He could see lots of trees and plains surrounding the temple. Singham was careful not to fall off the roof.

"Look, Singham," Mustafa began his lesson. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom." Singham was amazed at the view he saw. "A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Singham, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king." Singham listened to his father and was attentive at what he told him.

"And this will all be mine?"

"Everything."

"Everything the light touches," Singham repeated his father's words. He saw something eerie and dark near the border and didn't know what it was. "What about that shadowy place?"

"That's beyond our borders," Mustafa answered. "You must never go there, Singham."

"But I thought a king could do whatever he wants."

"There's more to being king than getting your way all the time." Mustafa then started to walk towards the stairs as he was prepared to show Singham outside the temple and see the plains.

"There's more?" Singham asked with awe.

"Of course. Now come. I'm taking you outside of the temple." Singham followed his father down some flights of steps until they walked out of the temple. Mustafa and Singham walked down the stony path that led out of the jungle and into the plains where they could see herds of chinkara, Indian gazelle, hopping to their destination. "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance," Mustafa continued his lesson to Singham who was walking alongside him. "As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." The tigers then reached a high hill where they could see most of the animals eating and frolicking.

"But Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" The confused Singham asked his father. He didn't understand why they should respect the animals if they eat them as well.

"Yes, Singham, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life." Singham felt enlightened with the knowledge that his father gave him and had deep understanding.

"Good morning, sire!" Zaceev greeted and flew in front of the tigers, then landed on a rock to speak.

"Good morning, Zaceev," Mustafa responded.

"Checking in with the morning report," Zaceev said.

"Fire away."

Zaceev then began to speak about what he heard from the other animals and how their days went. Mustafa and Singham listened, but Singham was distracted by a grasshopper and decided to pounce on it. Mustafa turned his head to see Singham.

"What are you doing, son?"

Singham pounced at the perched grasshopper, but it flew away quickly. "Pouncing," Singham finally answered.

"Let an old pro show you how it's done," Mustafa said while grinning at Zaceev. Singham understood what that meant and was ready to listen to his dad's instructions. Zaceev then kept on talking about his morning report, this time about elephants. "Zaceev, would you turn around?"

"Yes, sire." Zaceev did as he was told and continued blabbing on in his thick Punjabi accent.

"Stay low to the ground." Mustafa put his paw on Singham to make him stay in his position. They both watched the hornbill talking for so long.

"Okay, stay low to the ground, right," Singham confirmed, but was getting impatient.

Zaceev then noticed the tigers. "What's going on?"

"A pouncing lesson," Mustafa answered.

"Oh, very good. Pouncing." After Zaceev spoke the word, he realized what that meant. "Pouncing?!" Whenever he heard that word, it meant that he would be used as a target. Zaceev turned around to face the king. "Oh, no, sire! Please don't! You can't be serious!" Mustafa ignored his pleas and motioned him to turn around again. Zaceev did as he was told. "This is so humiliating."

"Try not to make a sound," Mustafa whispered to Singham who was ready to pounce on the bird.

"What are you telling him, sire?" Zaceev asked, but no response. "Mustafa? Singham?" No responses. Only silence, until he felt attacked and gave out a scream. He was pounced on by Singham. Mustafa gave out a great laugh. Singham then went back to his dad, full of pride. Zaceev was pulled up by a mole dug from underground.

"Zaceev, news from underground," the mole spoke to Zaceev privately.

Singham reached to his son, proud of his son's pouncing. "That's very good. Now, this time-"

"Sire!" Zaceev interrupted. His voice sounded of urgency. "Dholes are in the Ambush Lands!" Mustafa widened his eyes and rushed out of the hill. Singham had heard of dholes before, but he never saw them. Dholes were always causing trouble and are the enemies of the animals of the Ambush Lands, mostly tigers. They were casted out of the lands for bringing imbalance to the kingdom. Mustafa's patrol duty was to get them out of the lands and not bring problems.

"Zaceev, take Singham home."

"Aw, Dad, can I come?" Singham pleaded.

"No, son." Mustafa then ran off to find the dholes, leaving Singham and Zaceev alone.

"I never get to go anywhere," Singham pouted. Even though he was young, he still wanted adventure and wanted to see his father fighting some dholes. He then walked off into the direction of Ambush Temple.

"Oh, young master," Zaceev spoke to the young prince, "one day, you will be king and then you can chase those slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers from dawn until dusk." Those words lightened Singham's mood. The duo then left to go back home.

* * *

After Singham told everything about his day to his mother, he asked where his uncle Scar was so he could talk to him about his day. Sahiba said that she saw him on one of the towers near the temple. Sahiba then left to go converse with the other tigresses and Singham left to look for his uncle. He saw his uncle walking on the tower's ledges watching over the jungle and went inside. When he reached to his uncle's floor, he shouted, "Hey, uncle Scar! Guess what?"

The scarred tiger turned to see his nephew. He despised how Singham was the spitting image of his father when he was a cub and the fact that he was going to rule the kingdom. "I despise guessing games," he coldly said.

"I'm gonna be king of Ambush Temple," the cub boasted.

"Oh, goodie," Scar said with fake happiness.

"My dad just showed me the whole kingdom, and I'm gonna rule it all. Haha."

"Yes. Well forgive me for not leaping for joy. I have a bad back, you know." Scar then dropped himself on the ground not staring at his nephew. Singham then ran and got on his uncle's head.

"Hey, uncle Scar. When I'm king, what'll that make you?"

"A monkey's uncle," Scar said with sarcasm. Singham laughed, rolled off Scar's head, and met his face.

"You're so weird."

"You have no idea," Scar said with a smile in his face. Scar then got up and went to see the borders from his view. "So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he?"

"Everything," Singham answered, following his uncle.

"He didn't show what's beyond that rise on the northern border, did he?" Singham felt disappointed when he was told of the shadowy place.

"Well, no. He said I can't go there."

"And he is absolutely right! It's far too dangerous. Only the bravest tigers go there."

"Well, I'm brave. What is out there?" Singham asked curiously.

"I'm sorry, Singham. I just can't tell you."

"Why not?" Singham wanted to know and he didn't like it when his questions didn't get answered.

"Singham, Singham. I'm only looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew." Scar then put his paw on Singham's head, hiding his eyes.

"Yeah, right. I'm your only nephew."

"You're all the more reason for me to be protective." Even though Scar didn't like Singham that much, he started to like his adorableness and use that to his own advantage. "An elephant graveyard is no place for a young prince. Oops!" Scar put his paw on his mouth, faking surprise.

"An elephant what?!" Singham was surprised at what he heard. Maybe that was the place he was told not to go to. "Whoa."

"Oh, dear, I've said too much," Scar said while faking dismay. "Well, I suppose you'd have found out sooner or later, you being _so _clever and all." Scar then pulled his nephew close to him and spoke to him in a begging and babyish tone. "Just do me one favor. Promise me you'll never visit that dreadful place."

Simba then thought and lied, "No problem."

"There's a good lad. You run along now and have fun." Scar then let Singham run to the stairs. "And remember." Singham looked at Scar. "It's our little secret." Singham ran down the stairs and out of the tower. When Scar saw him leave, he smiled sinisterly and knew that Singham took the bait. _Things are going according to plan. _Scar thought. _Now to initiate the next step._


	4. Chapter 3: The Waterhole

**Guess who's back with a brand new chapter? Me!**

**Anyways, thank you for the reviews, everyone. I appreciate them. And to guest reviewer Sabrina, I have thought of making Nala (Neethi) a white tiger. I am trying my best to extend this fanfic by adding new scenes and new quotes, instead of making it a copy-and-paste fanfic. I did the same thing with my Assassin's Creed x Prince of Egypt fanfic.**

**I finally gave Nala's mom a name. It's Saroj, which means "complete, whole".**

**Just like my first fanfic, I'm not adding song lyrics in here, but I will add lyrics on a certain scene. You'll see what it is.**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Waterhole

Singham ran over to find his friend, Neethi, a white tigress cub, in one of the rooms of the temple. They were near a rocky window where sunlight shone inside. Singham saw Neethi being bathed by her mother, Saroj, who was also white colored, and his mom was there taking a small nap.

"Hey, Neethi," Singham greeted.

"Hi, Singham," Neethi spoke while her mother cleaned her.

"Come on," Singham whispered trying not to wake up his mother. "I just heard about this great place."

"Singham, I'm kind of in the middle of a bath," Neethi gritted.

"And it's time for yours," Sahiba said to Singham, who flinched when he heard his mother wake up. The young prince didn't like baths as it messes up his fur. He tried to run, but his mom was fast enough to catch his head and put him on her front legs. She started to lick his face and the back of his neck.

"Mom!" Singham tried to escape, but it was futile. "Mom, you're messing up my fur." Sahiba licked him one more time and Singham got off his mother's legs. "Okay, I'm clean. Can we go now?"

"So where are we going?" Neethi was upside down as her mother was licking her rump. "It better not be anyplace dumb."

"Oh, no," Singham assured. "It's really cool."

"So where is this really cool place?" Sahiba asked her son. Singham flinched and couldn't tell the tigresses that he and Neethi were going to the elephant graveyard, so he had to think of a lie and he thought of it quickly.

"Around the waterhole," Singham lied.

"The waterhole?!" Neethi was surprised. She didn't like hearing about the waterhole as she thought it was a boring place and animals just go there to drink and bathe there. "What's so great about the waterhole?"

Singham had to tell her the real place they were going once they were out of the temple and out of sight of the tigresses. "I'll show you when we get there," Singham whispered to Neethi with gritted teeth.

"Oh, I see," Neethi understood. Once Neethi was done with her bath, she got up and asked Saroj, "Mom, can I go with Singham?"

"What do you think, Sahiba?" Saroj asked.

"Well…" Sahiba thought.

"Please?" The two cubs begged with teeth grinning.

"It's alright with me," the queen agreed. The two cubs cheered and jumped and were about to leave the room. "As long as Zaceev goes with you." The two cubs stopped and exchanged shocked looks when they heard Zaceev.

"Oh, no, not Zaceev," Singham whined. _He's gonna ruin everything. How are I gonna distract him?_

* * *

After Sahiba spoke to Zaceev about taking the kids to the waterhole and agreeing to do so, the hornbill flew and lead the cubs out of the temple, into the forest, past the plains, and through some trees. The trio finally reached the waterhole where herds of deer, elephants, monkeys, and peafowl were drinking.

"Step lively, everyone," Zaceev announced to the kids. "The sooner we get to the waterhole, the sooner we can leave."

Neethi saw the waterhole and got bored, so he decided to ask Singham. "So, tell me, where are we _really_ going?"

"An elephant graveyard," Singham whispered.

"WOW!" Neethi exclaimed in excitement, but Singham shushed her.

"Zaceev, remember?" Singham didn't want Zaceev to hear where they were actually going.

"Right, so how are we gonna ditch the chicken?"

Zaceev saw the two cubs conversing and he flew down and landed in front of them. He could see that Singham was close to Neethi even if they couldn't see it themselves. "Oh, just look at you two. Little seeds of romance blossoming in the jungle. Your parents will be thrilled." Singham and Neethi looked at each other, not comprehending what the hornbill was talking about. "What with your being betrothed and all."

"Be-what?" the confused prince asked.

"Betrothed. Intended. Affianced." The two cubs still didn't get it.

"What are you saying?" Neethi asked.

"What I'm saying is, one day, you two are going to be married!" Zaceev clarified.

Singham and Neethi exclaimed disgust at the thought of marrying each other. "I can't marry Neethi. She's my friend."

"Yeah, and it would be so weird."

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you two lovebirds have no choice." As Zaceev was speaking, Singham was mimicking the bird's speech, which made Neethi laugh silently. "It's a tradition going back generations."

"Well, when I'm king, that'll be the first thing to go."

"Not so long as I'm around."

"Well, in that case, you're fired."

"Nice try, but only the king can do that," Zaceev poked Singham's nose as he spoke.

"Well, he's the future king," Neethi added.

"Yeah," Singham agreed. "So you have to do what I tell you." The cheeky tiger cub pushed the bird lightly with his paw.

"Not yet I don't, and with an attitude like that, I'm afraid you're shaping up to be a pathetic king indeed."

"I don't think so," Singham scoffed. "When I'm king, I'm gonna be the mightiest one ever."

"Yeah, right," Zaceev teased. "No one's gonna take a king who acts like a cub seriously."

"Well, I'm still growing up and I'm working on my roar."

"Well, congrats for you," Zaceev said with sarcasm and he was clapping. "Perhaps we should give you a gold star or something."

"I won't have to listen to you when I'm older," Singham argued and Zaceev was starting to get on the prince's nerves. "No wonder you're so annoying." The hornbill lowered his eyebrows, if he had any, and was thinking about taking the cubs home instead of taking them to the waterhole but stopped when he controlled his anger.

"You know what?" Zaceev asked. "There's no point in arguing with you. I'm not gonna fight fire with fire. Let's go to the waterhole and when we get home, we're going to talk about your behavior. Your mother and father will not like it at all when I tell them what you said to me."

And with that, Singham stopped talking and lowered his head a little. Neethi assured that everything will be alright. The cubs then followed Zaceev to the waterhole when they were were halfway there.

When the trio got to the waterhole, the animals there saw Singham and bowed down in respect. Singham then drank the water with his tongue and Neethi did so, too. Singham felt down after arguing with Zaceev and he wished he could apologize for what he did, but he was worried that he wouldn't accept it as he was still gonna tell on his parents.

"Hey," Neethi got Singham's attention. "Are you still gonna take me to you-know-where?"

"I'm not so sure," Singham said.

"Don't let Zaceev get to you. I'm sure he'll come around and you will apologize to him for what you did." Singham then smiled a little as Neethi encouraged him to get his cheery spirit up. "So what's the plan?" Singham didn't think of a plan until he saw baby animals playing in a puddle of water near the waterhole. An idea came up to him, and he smiled deviously as he saw Zaceev, who didn't look back.

"Follow me," Singham told Neethi and they went over to where the baby animals were. There was a baby fawn, three baby elephants, two baby monkeys, and five peachicks. "Hey, guys," the young prince greeted the babies. The babies knew who Singham was and they bowed down. "Hey, do you see that hornbill over there?" Singham pointed at Zaceev who was drinking with the other animals.

"I know who that is!" the baby fawn exclaimed. "It's the king's advisor."

"Well, I need you to distract him for us," Neethi said. "Play with him. Ask him anything. I don't know. Do something."

The baby animals agreed, and they ran to Zaceev and screamed. The hornbill widened his eyes as the kids jumped on him. The hornbill tried to fly away, but one of the baby elephants grabbed him with his trunk and the monkeys threw him like a ball and the peachicks jumped on Zaceev's belly. "SINGHAM! NEETHI!" Zaceev shouted for the tiger cubs. "HELP ME! DO SOMETHING!"

Singham and Neethi giggled as they saw the baby animals playing with Zaceev. Some of the parent animals tried to stop their children from tormenting the hornbill. When Singham saw that Zaceev was distracted enough, he shouted to Neethi, "Let's go! Now!" The two cubs then ran as fast as they could over to the border where the elephant graveyard was.


	5. Chapter 4: Elephant Graveyard

**I had loads of fun writing this chapter. Now you get to meet the dholes, Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans.**

**By the way, I watched the Hindi and Telugu dubs of The Lion King and tried to imagine what the characters would be like if they were the native species of India there.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Elephant Graveyard

The two cubs ran far from Zaceev, laughing as they finally got away from him. They stopped to catch their breath. They were far from the waterhole, far from Ambush Temple, and far from the Ambush Lands.

"All right! It worked!" Singham said.

"We lost him," Neethi said.

"I am a genius," Singham boasted.

"Uh, genius, it was my idea," Neethi said, frowning a little.

"No, it's not. It was mine, and I was the one who planned to distract Zaceev."

"Yeah, but I managed to get those kids to play with Zaceev. I understood what you were trying to do."

"Well, I managed to pull it off," Singham put his paw on his chest like he was proud of himself.

"With me!"

"Oh, yeah?" Singham jumped on Neethi and Neethi flipped Singham to the ground, pinning him. Singham was surprised that Neethi was stronger than him.

"I pinned ya," Neethi said to the defeated Singham.

"Hey, let me up!" Singham got Neethi off him. Neethi smiled and turned her back on Singham. That was his chance to pin her again. Singham jumped on Neethi and they fell down a steepy rocky slope. They bounced on the rocks, laughing until they got to the ground. Singham got on Neethi, but she managed to flip him and pound him to the ground. Singham was defeated again.

"Pinned ya again," Neethi boasted. The two cubs gasped as they saw hot air steaming out of a vent. Singham and Neethi were surprised at the surroundings around them: rocky slopes, hot air, fog floating around the atmosphere, and elephant skeletons. Singham smiled as he and Neethi climbed up the slope to see a giant elephant skull with long tusks.

"This is it. We made it," Singham whispered to Neethi. The duo went over to one of the tusks and saw out in the vast wasteland hundreds of dead elephant skeletons. "Whoa," the two cubs exclaimed as they looked at each other with astonishment.

"It's really creepy," Neethi commented.

"Yeah. Isn't it great?" Singham asked.

"We could get in big trouble," Neethi said, not caring if their parents and Zaceev found out.

"I know," Singham laughed. The cubs got off the tusk and looked at the skull.

"I wonder if its brains are still in there."

"There's only one way to know." Singham got close to the skull's mouth. "Come on. Let's go check it out." Singham was about to walk inside the skull but was stopped by Zaceev who swooped in front of the cubs and told them to stop.

"The only checking out you will do will be to check out of here!" Zaceev then pushed the cubs away from the skull. Singham frowned at Zaceev and complained. "We're _way_ beyond the boundary of the Ambush Lands."

"Aw, look. Banana Beak is scared," Singham teased.

"It's _Mr._ Banana Beak to you, fuzzy!" Zaceev pointed at Singham, who was unamused with the bird. He started to walk towards the skull, not caring about Zaceev's worrying. "And right now, we are all in very real danger."

"Danger? Ha!" Simba scoffed as he walked near the mouth of the skull and stopped to look at Zaceev and Neethi. "I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger." He then gave out a fake evil laugh which resonated the whole area.

Singham was confident in his laughter until he heard laughter inside the skull and that's when he got scared. The laughter inside the skull sounded eviler and real than Singham's. His fur stood up and he ran back to Neethi and Zaceev, hiding behind them. Out of the skull's eyes came two male dholes with fur the color of rust. Out of the mouth of the skull came out a female dhole with sandstone-colored fur and white underparts, but not her tail, which was black, just like the other dholes. The dholes started to walk and come closer to the cubs and hornbill. Singham and Neethi were scared and frightened just as Zaceev was. He spread his wings out to protect the cubs.

"Well, well, well, Bandi," the female dhole started to speak to one of her male partners. "What have we got here?"

"Hmm, I don't know, Shikaar," Bandi answered. "What do you think, Hans?" The other male dhole just laughed maniacally like a psycho. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. A trio of trespassers!" The three dholes started at the other trio.

"And quite by accident, let me assure you," Zaceev laughed nervously while speaking to the dholes. As he spoke to them, Singham and Neethi stealthily snuck away from the dholes, but Bandi and Hans were smart enough to see them get away. They circled around the cubs. "We won't bother you any longer."

"Whoa, wait, wait, wait," Shikaar stopped the bird from walking away by stepping on his tail feathers. "I know you. You're Mustafa's little stooge, aren't you?"

"I, madame, am the king's majordomo." Zaceev made the female dhole get off his tail feathers.

"Did you hear that, guys?!" Shikaar shouted to Bandi and Hans. "He's a major dummy!" The three dholes laughed, making fun of Zaceev's accent. They stopped and focused their attention on the cubs, whom they were still circling. Hans peered at Neethi, who feared him.

"And what will that make you?" Bandi asked Singham, who glared at him.

"I'm the future king."

"Do you know what we do to kings who step out of their kingdoms?" Shikaar joined the circle and Zaceev was in the center with the cubs.

"Puh. You guys can't do anything to me."

"Technically, they can, Singham," Zaceev laughed nervously again. "We are on their lands."

"But, Zaceev, you told me they're nothing but slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers," Singham recounted the bird's words to him. Zaceev tried to make the cub stop talking as they don't want to anger the dholes, still circling them.

"Do not speak of you-know-what," Zaceev whispered to Singham, who was still glaring at the dholes.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Bandi butted his head into the bird and cubs.

"Oh, my! Look at the sun! It's time to go!" Zaceev then made the cubs run, but Shikaar caught up to them, not making them go anywhere. Zaceev got in front of the cubs, protecting them with his wings.

"What's the rush? Why don't you stay for dinner tonight?"

"But we didn't bring anything to eat," Neethi said.

"That's not gonna be a problem," Bandi assured. "Besides, we can eat 'tiger' tikka masala!" The dholes laughed at Bandi's joke. "Get it?! Tiger tikka masala!"

"Oh, I got one! Let me say it!" Shikaar thought of a joke. "I would like to have a "cub-marine" sandwich. What do you think?!"

As the dholes kept on laughing on their puns, Zaceev whispered to the cubs to run. They did, and Zaceev flew with them. Hans noticed they were going and he had to warn his compadres. Hans got in front of Shikaar and started jabbering and pointing in the direction the tiger cubs and the hornbill were going.

"What, Hans? What is it?" The annoyed Shikaar asked, and Bandi saw Hans referring to the direction he was pointing at.

"Hey, did we order takeout?"

"No. Why?"

"Because they're taking out! Look!" The three dholes saw the tiger cubs running as fast as they could in the boney wasteland and the hornbill flying. Zaceev flapped his wings furiously, until they stopped when he saw his tail feathers were caught by the dholes. They dragged him over to their location. The cubs stopped running until they were gone and out of sight by the dholes.

"Did we lose them?" Neethi asked Singham.

"I think so." Singham looked around and saw that Zaceev was nowhere to be found. "Where's Zaceev?" They heard Zaceev screaming and ran over to the direction of his scream. They heard the dholes talking to Zaceev, but didn't know what they were doing to him. They reached a small hole where the dholes were near a steam vent. Zaceev was trying not to get near the steam vent.

"The little majordomo bird hippity-hopped all the way down the birdie boiler," Bandi said, while holding his wings. He shoved him in the vent, which started to plug and looked like it was about to explode.

"Oh, no! Not the birdie boiler!" Zaceev screamed as the vent spat out the bird into the sky. The dholes laughed hysterically, their stomachs almost hurting.

"Hey!" The dholes stopped laughing and turned to see Singham and Neethi on top. "Don't you have somebody your own size to pick on?!"

"Why, of course. You two!" Shikaar shouted.

"Oops," Singham gulped.

Shikaar jumped out of the hole and snapped her teeth at the cubs. Neethi and Singham screamed as they ran away from the chasing dholes. They ran until more hot air steamed out of the vents, preventing them from escaping. Out of that same hot air, three heads perked out and surprised them. It was the same dholes chasing them. They snapped their teeth at them, trying to bite off their heads. Singham and Neethi avoided them and ran quickly, while Shikaar and her male partners chased and tried to bite the cubs.

The cubs climbed on an elephant skull and barely made it to the top when Bandi almost snapped at Neethi, saliva drooling out his mouth. The cubs slid down an elephant's boney spine, until they reached the end of it and flew into a pool of fragile bones. They were unharmed and started to climb to the top. The dholes growled and ran over to catch up with the cubs. Singham reached the top, but he noticed something was missing, or better yet, someone.

"SINGHAM!" The prince looked down and gasped when he saw Neethi slipping and screaming as the dholes were climbing up the bones, almost getting to her. Singham ran down to save Neethi. Shikaar opened her bare, sharp teeth and almost bit Neethi, until Singham retracted his claws and scratched Shikaar's cheek, causing her to wince in pain. Three bloody scratch marks were on her cheek, and Shikaar growled with fury.

The cubs were at the top of the boney slope, and they ran inside a cave. It had another elephant skeleton, and it was a dead end for the cubs. They climbed on the spine and tried to get out by climbing on the walls of the cave. However, both of their weight broke the bones they were standing on and they fell to the ground. When they got up unharmed, they gasped as they saw the dholes at the entrance of the cave.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," Bandi teased with Shikaar and Hans growling. All their mouths were open, and their tongues were salivating. Neethi thought this was the end, but Singham got in front of her, protecting her and he started to roar at the dholes, but it wasn't as mighty as an adult tiger's roar. It was a roar that a tiger cub would usually make. The dholes weren't scared at all.

"That was it?" Shikaar mocked. The trio laughed lightly. "Do it again. Come on."

Singham inhaled and roared out, but it was muted by that of a powerful tiger roar. One that sounded scary, yet majestic. The three dholes gasped and were surprised by the roar they heard. They didn't move, until Bandi felt a paw knocking him and the others to the ground. It was Mustafa, who came to the rescue. Mustafa roared and knocked the dholes over who were biting at the powerful tiger king. With every paw slap he gave at the dholes, they felt weak. Singham and Neethi watched the whole ordeal happen. Zaceev flew to Singham, watching as well.

"Singham, Neethi," the two cubs turned to see Zaceev. "Are you alright?"

"We're okay," Neethi answered.

Mustafa got the three dholes on the ground with their backs touching it. They were cowering and begging him not to continue beating them more. "SILENCE!" The tiger king roared at the dholes. It made Hans so scared that he covered his face with his forelegs, not trying to look at the furious tiger.

"Come on! We're gonna shut up right now!" Bandi cried.

"Calm down," Shikaar laughed. "We're really sorry."

"If you ever come near my son again!" Mustafa threatened with his sharp teeth baring.

"Oh, that was your son?" Shikaar lied and turned to Bandi. "Did you know that?"

"Me? I-I-I-I didn't know. D-Did you?"

"No, of course not. No." Shikaar and Bandi turned to Hans who asked if he knew too. The crazy dhole nodded his head, stupidly. Mustafa gave out a roar as a warning never to come near his family again. The three dholes winced, while Shikaar and Hans held on to each other.

"Goodbye," Bandi said. The dholes then ran away from the tiger as fast as the speed of light, out of the cave.

Zaceev flew near Mustafa and gave him a "good job" nod. Mustafa stared at Zaceev angrily, and the bird shrank down as he saw his angry eyes.

"This is how you watch over my son?" Mustafa questioned Zaceev angrily. "Bringing him to danger?!"

"Sire, it wasn't my fault. The cubs tricked me. I-"

"Save it," Mustafa raised a paw to make him stop talking. "You should've known better than to let them fool you."

"Sire," Zaceev sighed, putting his head down.

The cubs ran over behind Mustafa. Singham approached his father. "Dad, I-"

"You deliberately disobeyed me!" Mustafa turned to his son, interrupting what he had to say.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Singham apologized.

"Let's go home." Mustafa walked out of the cave with Zaceev flying behind him, looking at Singham with worry and pity. Singham put his head down in shame as he walked along with Neethi.

"You were very brave, Singham," Neethi complimented. It made Singham lighten up a little, but he was afraid what his father was gonna say to him when they get home.

As the tigers and hornbill left the premises, everything was quiet. What they didn't know was hidden in the shadows, Scar watched the whole thing happen and he was angry. _Those stupid dogs!_ Scar shouted inside his mind. _How could they have messed up my plan so badly?! I'll have to speak with them later._


	6. Chapter 5: Look at the Stars

**I'm back with a new chapter, everybody.**

**I didn't add lyrics in this, because it would've been boring and I'm sure everyone would already know the lyrics to Be Prepared.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Look at the Stars + Be Prepared

The sun was almost setting, and Mustafa was leading the cubs back home, with Zaceev flying between the king and the cubs. Both cubs put their heads down in shame as they walked the rest of the way home in the jungle. Singham thought about all the wrongdoings he did that afternoon, and he hadn't apologized to Zaceev for insulting him before they reached the waterhole.

"Uh, Zaceev?" Singham lightly called the bird. Zaceev turned his head to Singham while flying.

"Yes, Singham?" Zaceev said, quietly.

"About today, I-I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to insult you back at the waterhole and to cause you more trouble."

"I forgive you, young prince," Zaceev accepted Singham's apology, "but you have made the king upset. You're gonna have to deal with him on your own." Singham lifted his head down again, and Neethi met his gaze with sympathy.

"Zaceev!" The bird heard Mustafa call his name, so he flew in front of the king and landed on the ground, meeting his glare. The cubs stopped when they heard Mustafa's voice.

"Yes, sire?"

"Take Neethi home." Mustafa motioned his head to Singham while speaking to Zaceev. "I've got to teach my son a lesson."

When Singham heard what Mustafa said, he lowered his body to the grass, worried and scared that he might shout at him or punish him. Neethi stared at the scared prince. Mustafa stared at the night sky which turned from purplish-orange to dark blue. Zaceev flew to the cubs and landed between them.

"Come, Neethi." He put his wings on Singham's shoulders and sighed, "Singham, good luck." Zaceev flew off while Neethi followed him. Singham watched the two leave. He wasn't ready to face his father.

"SINGHAM!" The prince flinched when he heard his name reverberating in the sky. Crickets were chirping quietly, and owls were hooting from a distance. Singham walked over to his father, until his forepaw slipped on a pawprint of his father's. Singham's paw was small compared to Mustafa's. He lifted his paw out of the indention and walked up to his father's side. He stared at his father, who thought for a moment.

Mustafa then began to speak, "Singham, I'm very disappointed in you."

"I know," Singham said quietly and sadly. His confidence began to shatter when his father continued his words.

"You could have been killed. You deliberately disobeyed me, and what's worse, you put Neethi in danger!"

Simba felt that he was about to cry, but he didn't let his tears come out. His voice broke as he said, "I was just trying to be brave like you."

"I'm only brave when I have to be," Mustafa's voice calmed down from sternness to gentility. Singham didn't understand what he meant. "Singham, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble.

"But you're not scared of anything."

"I was today." Singham was took back when he heard his father say those words. He couldn't believe that a mighty king like his father could be scared.

"You were?"

"Yes." He lowered his body to meet with Singham's height. "I thought I might lose you."

Singham didn't feel scared of his father anymore, and his mood was lightening up. "I guess even kings get scared, huh?" His father agreed. "But you know what?" He whispered.

"What?"

"I think those dholes were even more scared of you."

Mustafa laughed gentily. "Because they know better than to mess with your daddy. Come here, you!" Mustafa grabbed Singham tightly and gave him a noogie on the head. Singham tried to resist and get off his father. He managed to, and he jumped on Mustafa. The king and prince laughed, and the latter chased his father. He pounced on his father, who rolled on the grass and leaves. Singham tugged and pulled on his father's ear lightly. He then laid on his father's head.

"Dad, we're pals, right?"

"Right."

"And we'll always be together, right?"

Mustafa sat up and Singham was on his father's shoulder. "Singham, let me tell you something that my father told me." The two tigers looked up at the sky, millions of stars twinkling around it. Singham was in awe of the night. "Look at the stars. The great kings of the past are up there, looking down on us from those stars."

"Really?"

"Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I." Mustafa and Singham kept staring at the stars for a few moments until Mustafa got up and Singham was on the grass. "Let's go home. Your mother must be worried about you." The tigers walked the rest of the way home until they saw Ambush Temple. "Singham?"

"Yes, Dad?"

"Let's keep this between us, okay? Your mother has worried long enough." And with that, Singham agreed and he and Mustafa walked to the entrance of Ambush Temple.

* * *

Meanwhile, at another part of the elephant graveyard, steam was gushing, and lava was bubbling in the area.

"That lousy Mustafa!" Bandi complained as he stared at his scratch marks on his rump he got from Mustafa. "I won't be able to sit for weeks!" Hans laughed as he stared at Bandi. "It's not funny, Hans." The crazy dhole tried to contain his laughter, but couldn't, so he gave out a loud laugh that made Bandi insulted. "Hey, shut up!" Bandi growled as Hans kept laughing. He jumped on Hans and the two dholes started to fight.

"Will you two knock it off?!" Shikaar shouted. Her scratch she got from Singham on her cheek was healing. The two dholes ceased fighting.

"He started it," Bandi pointed at Hans, who was biting himself in the leg.

"Look at you guys. No wonder we're at the bottom of the food chain." Shikaar walked over to the two male dholes.

"I don't like being at the bottom," Bandi added.

"Yeah. You know, if it weren't for those tigers, we wouldn't be here in the first place."

"I hate tigers!"

"They're so pushy."

"And stripy."

"And stinky."

"And man, are they uuuuuugly!" The two dholes said in unison and laughed. The three dholes flinched when they heard a suave and sinister voice coming from a ledge.

"Surely, we tigers aren't all that bad."

"Oh, Scar, it's you," Bandi said as he and the other dholes calmed down when they saw their boss.

"We were afraid it was somebody important."

"Yeah, you know, like Mustafa."

"I see." Scar frowned when he heard his brother's name.

"That is power, I tell ya."

"Tell me about it. I get the shivers when I hear his name."

"Mustafa," Bandi said the king's name in a creepy way. Shikaar shivered.

"Do it again." Bandi repeated Mustafa's name again and numerous times, until Shikaar felt chills all over her fur. Hans giggled at the whole ordeal. "It tingles me." Scar shook his head, watching the dholes.

"I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Not you, Scar," Bandi spoke to the unimpressed tiger. "I mean, you're one of us. You're our friend, right?"

"Charmed," Scar sarcastically said.

"I like that," Shikaar added. "Scar may not be a king, but he still is so proper."

"Hey, Scar, did you bring us something to eat? Did you? Come on! We're starving!" Scar hated hearing the dholes complain and beg for food, but he did bring food for them. He pulled out a deer haunch and when the dholes saw, they panted and salivated their mouths. Drool was flying out of their tongues and lips.

"I don't think you deserve this. I practically lured those cubs over to you, and you couldn't even dispose of them." Scar dropped the haunch and the dholes savagely ate it, ripping off the meat.

"Well, you know," Shikaar spoke with her mouth full, "it wasn't like they were alone or something."

"Yeah, what were we supposed to do?" Bandi swallowed his meat he was chewing. "Kill Mustafa?"

Scar stared at the dholes eating and smiled sinisterly. "Precisely." The dholes stared at him with questioning and confused looks.

"What do you mean?" Shikaar asked.

"Well, I have a plan. It includes the three of you. You will follow it and you will not screw this up. Do you understand?"

The dholes nodded their heads, finished the deer meat to the bone, and they burped.

"What is this plan?" Bandi asked. "Tell us."

"Tell me, you orange dogs. Look around you." The dholes looked at the wasteland they were living in: bones, steam, and rocks protruding everywhere. "Aren't you tired of living in this wasteland while those big fat cats live in their luxurious temple, chasing all the food they want, and they give you nothing but a sideways glance?"

The dholes thought for a second, and anger formed in their eyes thinking about all the times they were turned down and tormented by the tigers. "Yes, we are!" Shikaar growled.

"Then I will be your king!" Scar shouted. "Follow me, and I promise you you'll never have to live in squalor and you'll never go hungry again!"

"Yes! Long live the king!" The trio shouted. Followed by them were hundreds of dholes hiding in the shadows repeating "long live the king". The dholes marched and chanted "Long live Scar! Death to Mustafa!" repeatedly. Scar watched the dhole army march, chanting his name and he felt pride in himself.

"Yes! Say my name! No longer will you have to live in poverty. Tomorrow, we're gonna kill Mustafa and Singham too! Be prepared for a new era and a glorious future! But remember, you are nothing without me! Be prepared, everyone!" Scar then got down from his ledge and went to Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans. "Now, listen to my plan." Scar whispered to the dholes and other dholes near them listened. They were shocked yet amazed by what they heard.

"Ooh, I like it," Shikaar said in amazement.

"Good," Scar said. "Now that you remember it, rest up. Tomorrow will be a glorious day, everyone!" Scar shouted to the dhole pack. "Death to Mustafa and Singham!" The dholes started cackling and howling as Scar laughed evilly as the moon shined in the dark sky.


	7. Chapter 6: Stampede

**Back when I was in middle school, I had thought that a water buffalo stampede would replace the wildebeest stampede from the original movie. Cut to me in 2016, a freshman in college, I saw the live action version of The Jungle Book and there's a scene where Mowgli runs away from Shere Khan while water buffalo are stampeding. I thought to myself, it was just like The Lion King. That helped me out on my Indian AU.**

**By the way, the plural for buffalo is the same as its singular term, but it can also be buffalos or buffaloes. I chose buffalo instead, so don't be confused.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Stampede

Buffalo Gorge was a large narrow valley located south of the Ambush Lands, far from Ambush Temple. Instead of a stream flowing down below, it was dry land with some trees and rocks. Shadows of clouds rolled over the landscape of the canyons. Scar had brought Singham to Buffalo Gorge for a reason, and that reason was part of his sinister plan.

"Now you wait here," Scar said to Singham as they walked down the rocky path below the gorge. "Your father has a marvelous surprise for you."

Singham was interested in hearing the surprise. "Oooh, what is it?" The tigers reached a rock with a tree next to it, and Singham sat on the rock, reaching Scar's eye level.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised."

"You are such a naughty boy, aren't you?"

"Come on, uncle Scar. Just tell me." Singham stood on Scar's neck, begging for him to tell him what the surprise is.

"No, no, no, no, no," Scar said repeatedly. "This is just for you and your daddy." Singham stood back on the rock, frowning down. "You know, it's sort of a father and son… thing." Scar disliked talking about familial relationships, even if he had no children himself. He then turned to Singham and said, "Well, I better go get him." He then began to walk away from Singham, but the cub got off the rock and followed him.

"I'll go with you."

"NO!" Scar shouted, which shook Singham and landed him on the ground. Scar regained his composure and calmly said "no" again. "Just stay on this rock." Singham walked backwards on the rock he stood on. "You wouldn't want to end up in another mess like you did with the dholes." Singham widened his eyes when he heard Scar speak about the incident that happened the day before.

"You know about that?"

"Singham, everybody knows about that," Scar spoke in a babyish voice to Singham. The cub felt embarrassed and lowered his head to his shoulders.

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. You were lucky Daddy was there to save you, eh? Oh, and just between us," Scar laid his paw on Singham's shoulder, "you might want to work on that little roar of yours, hmm?"

"Oh, okay." Scar then pull his paw off Singham and walked off. Singham widened his eyes and called his uncle. "Hey, uncle Scar!" Scar stopped and turned his eyes to Singham, wondering what he was gonna ask. "Will I like the surprise?"

"Singham, it's to _die_ for." Scar formed a sinister look on his face when Singham wasn't looking and walked off into the distance. Singham sat on the rock, waiting for his uncle to come back.

There was a reason why it was called Buffalo Gorge. Up on top of the canyon, thousands of water buffalo grazed on the grass. Some buffalo were rolling in the mud to make themselves cool. What they didn't know was hidden in the forest near where the buffalo grazed were Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans waiting to attack the buffalo, but couldn't for they needed to get Scar's signal. They had to be very quiet not to disturb the buffalo.

"Shut up," Shikaar said to Bandi, whose stomach was growling from looking at the meaty and stocky buffalo.

"I can't help it. I'm so hungry I gotta have a buffalo!" Bandi was drooling at the idea of having buffalo for a meal.

"Just stay put," Shikaar aggressively assured Bandi.

"Well, can't I just pick off one of the little sick ones?"

"No! We wait for the signal from Scar." The dholes saw from the distance Scar was on top of a rocky tower and alerted the dholes with his presence. "There he is. Let's go." The dholes then prepared to run towards the buffalo.

Singham was waiting impatiently and laid down thinking about what Scar told him. "Little roar. Puh." He stared at the side on the rock until a chameleon, who came from the tree landed on the rock, caught his attention. The chameleon walked down the rock and that was when Singham decided to test his roaring. "Rawr!" No reaction came from the chameleon. Singham got off the rock and decided to try again. "Rrrrr-rawr!" No reaction. The chameleon was unresponsive. It kept on walking. Singham decided that a third time could work on the walking lizard. He jumped to the lizard's position, inhaled, and gave out a big roar. "RAWR!" The lizard moved quickly from the roaring cub. His roar echoed around the canyon. Hearing his roar made him proud, but not for long.

His happy expression turned to confusion when he heard rumbling. He looked down and saw pebbles jumping on the ground. He heard birds squawking and saw them flying into the sky from the lip of the canyon. From that same lip, the herd of wild water buffalo ran down the canyon. Multitudes of them stampeded down the path, creating dust and rocks flying out of their hooves. Singham gasped as he saw the herd. He froze a little, and then began to run away from the herd. The sound of hooves thundered on the rocky path and the buffalo ran, bumping into each other while bellowing and mooing.

What Singham didn't know was at the top of the canyon, the dhole trio were chasing the buffalo, snapping at their legs and being careful not to get trampled by the massive bovines. They chased all the buffalo down the canyon until there was not a single one left. The dholes stayed at the canyon's lip and watched the buffalo run. They smiled and were proud of succeeding in part of Scar's plan.

Meanwhile, Mustafa was on patrol and Zaceev was helping with him. Zaceev turned his face to see dust flying out of the gorge and thought it was peculiar to see something out of order. "Oh look, sire." Mustafa turned his head to Zaceev pointing at the dust, "The herd is on the move."

"Odd," Mustafa commented.

"Mustafa!" The king and Zaceev turned to see Scar, out of breath. "Quick. Stampede. In the gorge. Singham is down there!" That got Mustafa's attention and his face turned to shock when he heard his son's name.

"Singham?"

Singham was running away from the buffalo herd, but they were catching up to him. Singham was now amid the herd and he tried to avoid being crushed by them. He felt like he was in the middle of the herd, but there were so many of them. Singham saw a dead tree, started climbing onto it, and held onto the dangling limb.

Mustafa and Scar rushed on the grassy canyon with Zaceev flying ahead of them. He flew down the canyon to see the buffalo herd stampeding. The gust of dust was hard to see anything, but Zaceev managed to see Singham holding onto the dead tree and flew close to him.

"Zaceev, help me!" Singham was holding onto the tree for dear life, not wanting to fall into the crowd of sharp horns.

"Your father is on the way! Hold on!" Zaceev then flew back to find Scar and Mustafa.

"Hurry!"

Scar and Mustafa slid down the lower ledges and tried to look for Singham. Scar faked worry and fear in front of his brother. Zaceev flew in front of the adult tigers and alerted them of Singham's location.

"There! On that tree!" The two tigers saw Singham dangling from the tree while buffalo ran below him.

"Hold on, Singham!" Mustafa shouted.

One water buffalo bumped into the tree, almost crashing into it. Singham almost slipped off the tree, screaming for his life. Mustafa couldn't stand and see his son plummet to his demise, so he got off the ledges and ran in the buffalo herd to save his son.

"Oh, Scar, this is awful! What do we do?! What do we do?!" Zaceev was panicking and Scar got annoyed. Zaceev calmed down a little and thought of an idea. "I'll go back for help! That's what I'll do! I'll go back for-" Before he could finish his sentence, Scar backhanded the bird into a rock wall, knocking him unconscious.

Mustafa ran inside the herd trying to get to Singham, but the herd was too fast, and he was past the tree. Mustafa managed to get past some buffalo, and he ran straight to the tree until he knocked out by one water buffalo. He got up from the ground and saw one buffalo knock the whole tree down, sending Singham into the sky. Singham screamed as he flew and almost landed on the herd but was caught by Mustafa in time. The king carried his son in his jaws and ran to find a safe place for him. What they didn't was in the shadows, Scar was watching Mustafa's every move.

Mustafa ran until he got knocked by a buffalo, sending Singham out of his mouth and onto the ground. Singham got up and avoided a few buffalo here and there. He saw his father pick him up in his jaws. Another buffalo slipped on the ground while the whole herd avoided it, running for their lives. Mustafa managed to find a safe place for Singham, which was a rock ledge. Before he could get up on the ledge, a buffalo knocked him off the ledge and into the stampede.

"DAD!" Singham cried out. He tried to find his father in the sea of buffalo, but it was hard to find him. He thought his father was gone until he saw a shape leap out of the herd and landed on the rock slope. Singham smiled as he saw his father, safe and sound. Mustafa tried to climb the slope with great difficulty making it hard for Singham to see. Singham ran to climb up the rock ledge to try to see his father and help him in some way.

Mustafa got to the top, claws sticking on the rocks, until he saw Scar looking down on him. "Scar!" Mustafa called out to his brother, slipping but trying to hang on. "Brother! Help me!" Mustafa's hindlegs slipped on the slope, making pebbles fall to the endless herd.

Scar stared at Mustafa for a few seconds, then grabbed his brother's forelegs with his sharp, extended claws, creating small blood marks. Mustafa roared out in pain and stared at his brother with realization and horror at the same time. "Long live the king," Scar said slowly and evilly to Mustafa, who stared at him with more shock and horror, knowing that his brother was planning to kill him. Scar threw Mustafa's paws out of the rocky slope, sending Mustafa flying down into the raging stampede, back first. Mustafa screamed as he fell onto the stampede, bumping into the sharp buffalo horns and trampled by each of their heavy hooves.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Singham saw his father die to his death, dust covering up the whole scene. Singham got down from the ledges and waited until the herd passed by. He got to the ground and went to look for his father's body.


	8. Chapter 7: Mustafa's Death

**Two chapters in one day? All right! Give me a high five!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Mustafa's Death

_ "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Singham saw his father die to his death, dust covering up the whole scene. Singham got down from the ledges and waited until the herd passed by. He got to the ground and went to look for his father's body._

Dust covered the whole landscape of the canyon, making Singham cough. Dead trees were trampled, plants died, and the ground was full of hoofprints.

"DAD!" Singham's call echoed in the landscape. No response. Singham walked further into the opposite direction the buffalo came from. Singham could only hear silence, until it was broken by a sound. "Dad?" Singham turned to the sound and saw it wasn't his father, but a buffalo that was left out by the herd and ran past a broken dead tree. The same tree Singham dangled on earlier. Below that tree was the motionless and breathless body of Mustafa.

Singham gasped a little and ran over to see the body. He looked at his father's face and saw his eyes were closed. His body was bruised and scratched by the numerous horns of the buffalo. Singham didn't believe that his father could be dead. He thought he was sleeping and went up near his face.

"Dad?" Singham said hopefully. "Dad, say something." Singham rubbed against his father's muzzle, trying to make him wake up. Mustafa's face moved back into its previous position. "You have to wake up. Dad?" Singham rubbed his father's cheek with his paws, trying again. "We gotta go home." Singham pulled down Mustafa's ear. He wasn't moving. Singham panted, panicked a little, and looked off into the far distance.

"HEEEELP!" Singham cried off into the gorge, his voice reverberating. He ran away from his father's body to see if there was anybody out there to help him. "SOMEBODY! Anybody?" Singham sniffled and tears formed in his eyes. "Help." Singham let the tears come out of his eyes, knowing his father died trying to save his life. Singham went back to his father's body, nuzzled into his father's paw, and laid down next to him. Singham made it feel like his father was comforting him. He then closed his eyes.

Out of the dust, Scar walked over to the two tigers, staring ominously. He saw Singham under his father's paw. "Singham?" The cub turned to see his uncle looking at him. "What have you done?" Singham jumped out of Mustafa's paw, and his tears began to fall out as he explained to his uncle.

"There were buffalo, and he tried to save me. It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"Of course. Of course, you didn't." Scar pulled Singham to his foreleg, embracing him. The cub cried onto his uncle's leg, hiding his face. "No one ever means for these things to happen. But the king _is _dead." Singham looked up to his uncle's scarred face, realizing the fact that Mustafa is dead, and he is never coming back. "And if it weren't for you, he'd still be alive." Singham thought and realized that it was his fault. If he hadn't roared, then the stampede wouldn't have happened, but he didn't know that the roar didn't cause the stampede. Scar then mocked a gasp. "What would your mother think?"

Singham sniffled and asked, "What am I gonna do?"

"Run away, Singham." The cub backed away from his uncle, looked his dead father's body one more time, and stared at his uncle. "Run. Run away and never return." Singham blindly ran off away from his uncle and father, away from his home.

Scar stared at his nephew running off into the distance, a small grin forming. His plan was almost complete. Scar heard his companions, the dholes, walk up behind him, waiting for his instructions. "Kill him." The dholes barked and ran past the motionless Scar to get Singham.

Singham ran as far away as his little legs could take him. He then saw a lip of the canyon but turned around and saw the three dholes walking creepily to him. They were snarling, ready to kill the young prince. Singham ran up to the lip of the canyon, reaching into a crack and climbing up a ledge. Bandi almost snatched at Singham with his claws. Singham ran to the far end of the canyon until he stopped and gasped as he saw a rocky slope leading into the ground of hundreds of thorn bushes.

Singham turned and saw the dholes were catching up to him. _How did they catch up to me?_ Singham thought. There was no choice to do and Singham jumped down into the slope, bumping into the rocks and rolling down, grunting. The dholes ran down the slope, barking and snarling. Singham reached the end of the slope and crashed in the thorn bush, unharmed. He saw the dholes were halfway to where he was, and he began to crawl away from them, being careful not to touch any thorns.

Bandi ran down towards the thorns. When he saw the thorns, he managed to reach a full stop to the end of the slope. He gave a sigh of relief, but he was bumped into Shikaar and Hans, which made Bandi fly down into the thorns. He jumped out, giving out an agonizing scream of pain. Hans and Shikaar laughed at Bandi. The male dhole was covered in thorns all over his body. He climbed up to the slope and winced in pain as he tried to walk. Hans laughed uncontrollably at seeing Bandi covered up.

Shikaar saw Singham run out into the desert, the red setting sun shining on the ground. "Hey! There he goes! There he goes!" The two male dholes saw out in the horizon the tiger cub running away.

Bandi picked some thorns off his legs and spat out "So go get him!" to Shikaar.

"There is no way I'm going in there!" Shikaar stared at the thorn bushes and shuddered just thinking about going in the bushes and meeting the same fate of Bandi. "Do you want me to come out looking like you, prickly butt?!"

Bandi picked out some thorns on his rump, stared at Hans looking dumbly, and spat the thorns at Hans's nose. The dhole yelped in pain and tried to get the thorns off his nose. "Well, we gotta finish the job!" As soon as Bandi got all the thorns off him, he walked up to Shikaar still staring at Singham, a small spot in the distance of where they were standing.

"Well, he's as good as dead out there, anyway. And _if_ he comes back, we'll kill him."

"Yeah! Did you hear that?!" Bandi echoed out to Singham, who didn't look back and kept on running. "If you ever come back, we'll kill you!" The three dholes laughed and went back to the direction they came from.

Scar waited for the dholes to come back and tell him if they succeeded in killing Singham. The dholes appeared from the dust and Scar ran over to them. "Well?"

"He's dead," Shikaar lied. The female dhole came up with a lie on how they killed Singham, which made Scar elated.

"Good. Now that my brother and his son are dead, I'll take over and be king." Scar turned to climb up the canyon ledges and looked down at the dholes. "Go meet up with your allies. I have a funeral and eulogy to prepare and tell the dholes to relocate to Ambush Temple." The dholes agreed and ran off out of the canyon. Scar ran his way to Ambush Temple, giggling to himself about becoming king.

* * *

That night, Scar gathered all the tigresses and a recovered Zaceev in the throne room. Some tigresses cried silently, and most of them put their heads down. Scar faked sadness and grief as he spoke his eulogy. "Mustafa's death was a terrible tragedy, but to lose Singham, who had barely begun to live." The tigresses sniffled and Sahiba closed her eyes tightly, not to let her tears come out. She felt a mix of emotions, knowing she lost her husband and son on the same day. Zaceev comforted Sahiba by putting his wing on her paw. Neethi was between her mother's legs and leaned to them, letting tears come out of her eyes.

"For me, it is a deep personal loss," Scar continued. "So it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne." After Scar finished his eulogy, he gave out a speech while out of the shadows, dholes came out and entered the premises of the temple. Zaceev and the tigresses gasped, seeing multiple dholes in the area. "Yet, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era in which tiger and dhole come together in a great and glorious future!" Scar then walked to the balcony to see the whole dhole pack walking over to the temple, growling, barking, and laughing.

Not so far from Ambush Temple, hidden in the trees, Ripun saw the whole thing happen. He groaned and shook his head as he saw the dholes enter the temple. He did not like what has become of Ambush Temple and the Ambush Lands.

Back at his banyan tree, he thought about Mustafa and Singham's deaths. He felt a tear come out and wiped it away. He looked at the painting of Singham, laid a hand on it, and wiped it away, knowing that he's gone. Ripun looked up at the sky, his eyes shining while the stars twinkled.

"You left too soon, Mustafa and Singham," Ripun spoke to the sky. "We really needed you. If only you could see what has happened to Ambush Temple." Ripun felt the wind blow on his face, knowing that it's the spirit of Mustafa. "Singham, if you're up there with your father, give me a sign."


	9. Chapter 8: Chintaa Mastu

**Hello, guys. Sorry I haven't uploaded the whole day. I was busy and was trying to think about how to write this chapter. When I finished writing this chapter, it took me two hours. Hope you enjoy it.**

**In this chapter, "chintaa mastu" is Sanskrit for no worries, in case you were wondering what language it was.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Chintaa Mastu

Singham laid on the desert ground, unconscious from the desert heat. He had run far away from home and far from the Ambush Lands. He was exiled from his own home and became an outcast.

Circling over his body, flocks of vultures flew and thought Singham was their next meal to eat, since they thought he's dead. They flew down and walked over to Singham's body, preparing to eat him. However, they were stopped by screaming which came from a rampaging wild boar with a mongoose riding on top of him. The vultures flew away from Singham's body and from the two strangers.

"Get out! Get out of here!" The mongoose shooed the vultures while the boar kicked them, making them fly away in fear.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" The boar asked the mongoose. "Bowling for buzzards."

"It gets them every time," the mongoose laughed as he wiped dust off his body.

The boar noticed the tiger cub's body and walked over to see him closer. "Uh oh. Hey, Tamash? You better come look. I think it's still alive."

Tamash made a face of disgust, knowing they found a "dead" body. He walked over to see the cub. "All right. What do we have here?" Tamash sniffed the cub, then tried to lift his paw off his face. It was heavy for him, but he managed to get a good look at his face. "My gosh, it's a tiger!" Tamash slipped off the tiger's paw, and ran on top of his boar friend, pulling his ears to make him move. "Run, Pravraj! Move it!"

"Hey, Tamash. It's just a little tiger. Look at him. He's so cute and all alone. Can we keep him?"

"Pravraj, are you crazy?!" Tamash shouted in Pravraj's ear. "We're talking about a tiger! Tigers eat guys like us."

"But he's so little." Pravraj dropped the mongoose on the ground, making him look at him.

"He's gonna get bigger."

"And then he'll be on our side."

Tamash got up and laughed, thinking that a tiger could be friends with them. "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard." Then suddenly, Tamash got an idea. "I got it. What if he's on our side?" He then got on Pravraj and rode on his nape. "You know, having a tiger around might not be such a bad idea."

Pravraj walked over to Singham and picked him up using his snout. He slid Singham down by using his neck and was in front of Tamash. "So are we keeping him?"

"Of course. Who's the brains here?" Pravraj was about to answer, but he didn't get an answer out. "My point exactly. I'm sweating out here. Let's go and find some shade." Pravraj ran on the desert ground, being careful not to drop Singham.

Tamash and Pravraj managed to find a desert oasis for Singham to lay in the shade. Tamash threw water on Singham's face and he woke up. He groggily looked around and saw the mongoose and boar. "You okay, kid?"

"I guess so."

"You nearly died." Pravraj expressed concern.

"I saved you." Pravraj snorted at Tamash, staring angrily at him. "Well, Pravraj helped, a little." Pravraj shook his head when the mongoose wasn't looking.

"Thanks for your help." Singham got up and walked away from the unusual duo.

"Hey, where are you going?" a confused Tamash asked.

"Nowhere."

Tamash and Pravraj looked at the tiger cub walking away, expressing concern and wanted to know what was up with Singham.

"He looks blue."

"I'd say he looks orange."

"No, Pravraj. I mean he's depressed."

"Oh." Tamash and Pravraj ran up to Singham. "Kid, what's eating you?"

"Nothing!" Tamash interrupted. "He's on top of the food chain!" He laughed at his joke. Pravraj and Singham didn't react at all. "Get it?! The food chain?!" He stopped laughing, knowing his joke wasn't funny at all. He became serious and asked Singham, "So where are you from?"

"It doesn't matter. I can't go back." Singham walked away from the boar and mongoose again, but they caught up to him again.

"Oh, so you're an outcast," Tamash said. "That's great. So are we."

"What did you do, kid?"

Singham began to think about that horrible day that caused his life to go upside down. The images of the buffalo stampede, his father saving him and dying in the stampede, and seeing his dead body played in his mind. Singham shook his lip and tears began to flow out his eyes. The mongoose gasped a little and the boar showed sadness in his expression when the cub cried.

"Hey, don't cry. What's the matter?" Pravraj asked.

"My father's dead, and it's because of me."

"What?" Tamash exclaimed. "What makes you think that? You shouldn't blame yourself for things you have zero control over."

The tiger cub took a breath, sat down and began to tell the duo what happened on that unfortunate day from his uncle telling him to wait for his father to when he escaped the dholes after his uncle told him to run away.

"Well, kid, that is sad to hear what you have gone through," Tamash said.

"Is there anything we can do?" Pravraj asked.

"Not unless you can change the past," Singham dryly said.

"You know, kid, it's just like my old buddy Tamash says in times like these, 'You gotta put your behind in your past', or was it the other around?"

"No, you amateur!" Tamash shouted at the boar. "Lie down before you hurt yourself." The mongoose turned to the tiger cub, who was wiping his nose. "It's 'You gotta put your past behind you.' Listen, kid, bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about it, right?"

"Right."

"WRONG!" Tamash pointed at Singham, which alerted him. "When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world."

"That's not what I was taught."

"Then maybe you need a new lesson. Repeat after me." Tamash cleared his throat and said, "Chintaa mastu."

A befuddled Singham asked "What?" when he heard those two words.

"Chin-taa mas-tu," Pravraj enunciated. "It means 'no worries'."

"It's a philosophy we live by," Tamash explained. "It means you don't have to worry about anything for the rest of your days. You have no problems in life and you get along just fine."

Hearing the meaning of _chintaa mastu_ made Singham feel better. Maybe he didn't have to worry about home, his family, or his responsibilities. He could probably get on with a carefree life in this new home. But he didn't know much about these animals he just met.

"Now that you know about me, why don't you tell me about yourselves?"

"You don't wanna know much about me," Tamash started. "Let's just say I didn't fit in with my mongoose pack, so I left them. On the other hand, Pravraj's backstory is interesting. Why don't you tell him?"

"Okay," Pravraj said. "I don't really have a home and I never got along with anyone because they don't like the way I smell. You see, I have a flatulence problem." Singham was surprised at hearing Pravraj's past. "When I met Tamash, he didn't think of me any different. Right, buddy?"

"Yeah, pal." Tamash hugged the boar and they smiled. Singham smiled too, and the whole conversation made the trio hungry when they heard their stomachs growling.

"I guess that means it's time to eat," Pravraj said.

"But what are we gonna eat? It's all desert here." Singham saw everywhere was full of sand.

"Come on, kid," Tamash turned to the cub. "It's time we took you to our home." Tamash got on Pravraj and ran into the oasis. Singham followed, and the trio ran into some trees until they stopped. "Kid, close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them." Singham closed his eyes and Tamash removed a leaf in front of the cub. Singham felt sunshine as he kept his eyes shut. "Okay, open them." Singham opened his eyes and was amazed by a view of palm trees, a flowing stream of water, and more sand with shades of brown and yellow. "Welcome to paradise."

"You guys live here?"

"We live wherever we want."

"Yep," Pravraj stepped in. "Home is where your rump rests."

"It's beautiful," Singham commented. "By the way, we never introduced ourselves. I'm Singham. And you are Tamash and Pravraj, right?" He pointed to the mongoose and the wild boar.

"That's right," Tamash confirmed. "Now about the food."

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole donkey."

Tamash was shocked to hear what Singham said. "Uh, we don't have donkeys here."

"Any antelope?"

"_Nahi_ (no)."

"Deer?"

"Nope. Listen, kid, if you're gonna live with us, you have to eat like us." Tamash and the other two walked over to a log inside the oasis. "This looks like a good place to eat." He lifted the bark and out came hundreds of bugs and grubs. Pravraj's mouth was watering at the sight of food, but Singham was disgusted.

"Eww, what is that?"

"A grub. What did you think it was?" Timon grabbed a larva in his arms and began to eat it. Singham was repulsed by the way Tamash ate the larva. "It's so good."

Pravraj slurped out an earthworm from the ground and gulped it. "Slimy yet satisfying." Singham didn't like how he had to eat what they ate if he had to live with them.

"These are rare delicacies, and you'll learn to love them once you have your first bite." Tamash grabbed out a buffet of bugs on a leaf and walked over to Singham. "When you live with us, you'll have no rules, no responsibilities, and no worries. Go ahead. Try one." He offered the buffet to Singham. The cub picked out one red larva and was almost disgusted while looking at it, but he breathed in and out through his nose to calm himself.

"Oh well, chintaa mastu." Singham slurped up the larva, swallowed it, and smacked his tongue. "Slimy yet satisfying." He actually liked the taste of bugs and grubs.

"That's the spirit, my boy," Tamash proudly said.

Over the years, Singham lived his life to the fullest without worrying about anything. He lived under the philosophy of chintaa mastu. He ate bugs and grubs with Pravraj and Tamash, who began to raise him like they were uncles to him. Singham also ate coconuts and bananas from the palm trees. Three years have passed, and Singham had grown up from small cub to a strong adult Bengal tiger, his orange fur shining and his stripes eloquent and all. He had found paradise in this desert he called home from then on.


	10. Chapter 9: Banishment

**I bet you can't guess what songs I used in this fanfic and where they came from. If you get them right, I'll mention you in the next chapter.**

**So, I used both the deleted scenes and Broadway version to write this chapter, but I didn't make it look like Scar sexually abused Neethi to make her become queen.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Banishment

Three years have passed by, and Ambush Temple had become a mess under Scar's rule. It was full of vines, and some stoning that supported the temple crumbled. Dholes had taken over the temple and made it a living hell for the tigers. They forced them to hunt more than they could, causing imbalance in the ecosystem. The land had become dry and barren and food and water became scarce.

Scar was lying down in his resting place, cleaning his teeth with a bone while Zaceev was entertaining him. Zaceev was locked in a ribcage with two rocks locking both sides of it, causing the bird to be cramped a little. Zaceev was singing to Scar depressively amidst the quiet atmosphere.

_Nobody knows the trouble I've seen_

_Nobody knows my sorrow_

"Oh, Zaceev, do lighten up," Scar spoke to Zaceev as he threw the bone he was chewing on to the ribcage, creating a clinking sound. "Sing something with a little bounce in it." Zaceev began to think of a song that was very popular during the time.

_Tunak tunak tun _

_ Tunak tunak tun _

_ Tunak tunak tun _

_ Da da da_

"NO! No! Anything but that." Scar hated that song, so Zaceev had to think of a song that would get Scar to be entertained.

_Thod de saare bandhan tu_

_ Machne de payal ka shor_

_ Dil ke sab darwaaze khol_

_ Dil ke sab darwaaze khol _

_ Dekho aaye, aaye chor_

As Zaceev sang the song, Scar beated along with the bird's lyrics as he felt entertained. As Zaceev stopped singing, Scar kept on singing. Zaceev sighed and felt embarrassed at what he was doing. He muttered to himself, "I never would have done this with Mustafa."

When he spoke that name, Scar stopped singing and came close to the jailed bird, furious and feeling triggered. "WHAT?! What did you say?"

"Uh, nothing," Zaceev nervously lied, flinching at the tiger's anger.

"You know the law! Never ever mention that name in my presence. I am the KING!" Scar roared at the bird.

"Yes, sire. You _are_ the king. I... Well, I only mentioned it to illustrate the differences in your royal managerial approaches."

"Hey, boss!" The bird and tiger turned to see Bandi, Shikaar, and Hans enter the temple.

"Oh, what is it this time?" Scar was getting tired of hearing the dholes complaining.

"We got a bone to pick with you."

"I'll handle this," Shikaar said to Bandi. She walked to Scar and said, "Scar, you're a great king and all, but the other dholes have been complaining. There's no food and no water." Scar rolled his eyes at hearing the same thing over and over again.

"Yeah!" Bandi joined in. "It's dinner time, and we have no entrees to eat!"

"It's the tigresses' job to do the hunting," Scar groaned.

"Yeah, but they won't go hunt."

"Then… eat Zaceev." The dholes looked at Zaceev and started to drool.

"No! You wouldn't want me! I'd be too tough and gamey."

"Zaceev, don't be ridiculous. All you need is a little turmeric." Scar then turned away from the dholes.

"And I thought things were bad under Mustafa," Bandi whispered to Shikaar and Hans. Shikaar stared at Scar, worried that he might get angry if he heard his brother's name. He did, and he turned to the dholes, quick and angry at them.

"What did you say?!"

"I said-" Shikaar elbowed Bandi to not make his say Mustafa. "I mean, I said _mostaza_ (mustard)." The dholes grinned widely.

"Good. Now get out." The dhole trio walked out of the temple, but when they reached the entrance, they turned to Scar.

"Yeah, but we're still hungry," Bandi complained.

"OUT!"

The dholes flinched and ran as quickly as they could, away from Scar. The tired king went back to his resting place. "Stupid dogs," he mumbled to himself. "Now, where was I?" He thought for a moment and reached his train of thought. He turned to Zaceev who was staring at him. "Oh yes. Zaceev, tell me. Why am I not loved?"

"Simple, sire. Things around here have gone too far." Zaceev began to list the problems of the kingdom in his mind to tell Scar.

"But what's more important is how I feel, mind you."

"The Ambush Lands have become the armpit of India."

"I'm warm, witty, good-looking," Scar described himself while ignoring Zaceev.

"Dholes are prancing around like they own the place." With more issues he listed, Zaceev's tone grew angrier. ''There isn't enough water to fill a mosquito's navel."

"But there's something missing. What is it?"

"I'll tell you what is missing: YOUR GRASP ON REALITY!" Zaceev shouted while shaking the ribs, almost breaking them. "Please, do something before the Ambush Lands go down the drain! Now, if a certain tiger was alive, he'd know what to do."

Scar frowned at Zaceev, knowing he was talking about Mustafa. "I'm getting sick and tired of hearing Mustafa's name. What did he have that I don't have?"

"Nothing," Zaceev spoke calmly. "You lack nothing at all, except a few minor things." Scar leaned forward to listen to the hornbill. "Adoring subjects, respect of your species, a loving family, a devoted queen."

"That's it!" Scar shouted.

"What's 'it'?" Zaceev asked.

"I need a queen. That's just what I was missing." Zaceev didn't like what Scar was planning, and he wished he shut his mouth just so Scar wouldn't get any more ideas. "She'd rule by my side. We'll have cubs, two or three maybe. My heir, my lineage, my descendants! I will be immortal!" Scar felt proud in himself. "But who should be my queen?

"Scar?" The king and hornbill turned to see a grown-up Neethi standing at the entrance of the room. She had grown up bigger and stronger than she had when she was a cub. Her black stripes blended in with her snow-white fur. Her blue eyes caught Scar's attention, and he thought she would be his queen.

"Ah, Neethi. Your timing couldn't have been more perfect. Do come in. I won't bite." The tigress stepped in, but not too close to the king.

"Scar, it's chaos out there and you have to do something. The dholes are forcing us to overhunt. If you change your ways, all of this would stop."

Scar scratched his cheek and said, "I might be able to correct this predicament if…"

"If what?" Neethi joined her eyebrows, making a confused look.

"If you decide to be my queen."

"What?!" The tigress and hornbill shouted in unison.

"Your Majesty, do you even know what you are saying?!" Zaceev shouted through his confinement.

"Oh, stay out of this, puffy," Scar turned to Zaceev and then to Neethi. "Just say the word, Neethi. That's all it will take.

"Never!" Neethi backed away from Scar, not wanting to be near him. "I'll never be your queen. Besides, you're so old."

The king felt insulted by what Neethi said to him. "How dare you insult my age! No one insults the king! I never take "no" for an answer!" Neethi walked out of the temple watching Zaceev cover his ears from Scar's ranting, feeling sorry for the bird. "One way or another, you will be mine! You belong to me! All of you belong to me!"

Neethi was away from the ranting king when she met her mother and Sahiba, joined with other tigresses, walk to her.

"Mother, _Rajmata _(Queen Mother)." Neethi bowed down to Sahiba.

"Neethi, are you alright?" Saroj asked her daughter.

"I'm fine. Scar just asked me to be his queen and I rejected his offer."

"What?" gasped Sahiba. "He has gone crazy."

"There is no way I'm letting him anywhere near you." Saroj nuzzled her daughter but was interrupted by Scar who alerted the tigresses with his booming voice.

"Let the ambush be my witness! I choose Neethi as my queen!"

"And I reject you."

"Either be my queen or be forever banished from the Ambush Lands."

"You can't banish me."

"Take her away," Scar ordered the tigresses, but they didn't listen to him. Neethi got in the center of the group while Saroj got in front with Sahiba.

"Be reasonable, Scar," Sahiba said to the king.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"No."

"Take her away. I am the king! You must do as I say!" The tigresses didn't move an inch and protected Neethi. "Oh, so that's the game, eh? Mutiny? Insurrection? Bah! Fine. Have it your own way. I don't require your respect. Only your obedience." Scar then roared out in the distance, and the tigresses were prepared to face whatever Scar roared at. Out of the towers and temple, dholes arrived out of the dark and came near Scar. The tigresses were shocked. "Take Neethi away from here. She doesn't belong here anymore."

Sahiba went to Neethi and whispered quickly to her, "Neethi, you have to get out of here. Go find help to overthrow Scar."

"I won't leave you here," Neethi argued as the dholes got closer to the tigresses who managed to fight back at them.

"Neethi, we'll be okay," Saroj added. "You have to find help. Just let our prayers be your guide and may the great kings protect you on your journey."

"But Mother!" Neethi was about to argue more, but Sahiba interrupted.

"Go now, Neethi! You're our only hope." Neethi decided to get out of the protective circle and let the dholes drag her out of the premises of the temple. "Be careful," Sahiba whispered quietly. Scar watched the dholes drag Neethi, glaring at her.

Neethi looked back at her home and the tigresses, letting a tear fall out her eye. The dholes pushed her into what was the forest and she ran far away from them. _Don't worry, my group. I will find help. I will help you get rid of Scar. I promise you. Great kings, please protect me in my journey._


	11. Chapter 10: He's Alive

**If you haven't guessed the songs that Zaceev sang in the last chapters, I guess I'll tell you. They are Tunak Tunak by Daler Mehndi and Pairon Mein Bandhan Hain from Mohabbatein.**

**Here's the next chapter. I extended the discovery scene with Ripun and added a scene with Neethi.**

* * *

Chapter 10: He's Alive

After living another carefree day in the desert oasis, Singham, Tamash, and Pravraj laid down on the warm desert sand, watching the starry night sky.

"Well, what a day, right, Singham?" the mongoose asked.

"Yeah. I'm stuffed already," the tiger replied.

"Me too. I eat like a pig," the boar added.

"Pravraj, you _are _a pig," Singham said.

"Oh, right." The trio sighed deeply together and stared at the stars in complete silence until Pravraj broke it. "Tamash?"

"Yes?"

"Ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?"

"Pravraj, I don't _wonder_. I _know_."

"Really? What are they?"

"They're fireflies." Singham raised his eyebrow when he heard Tamash's answer. "They got stuck up in that bluish-black thingy." Tamash pointed at the sky as the stars twinkled.

"Well, I always thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away."

Tamash expressed annoyance when he thought what Pravraj was saying is the truth, but it's just nonsence to him. "Pravraj, with you, everything is gas."

Pravraj noticed Singham was silent the whole time he and Tamash were discussing about what the stars are. "Singham, what do you think?"

Singham had memories of his last moment with his father play in his mind and decided not to tell them what he thinks the stars are. "Well, I don't know." Tamash and Pravraj begged simultaneously to Singham to tell them his thoughts, but Singham refused.

"Come on, Singham," Pravraj begged. "We told you our thoughts. Now tell us yours."

"Fine," Singham gave in. "Well, somebody once told me that the great kings of the past are up there watching over us."

"Really?" Pravraj was in awe of Singham's thoughts.

"You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching over us?" Tamash didn't know what to think of Singham's thoughts. He thought for a few seconds, and then broke out laughing. Pravraj laughed along with him, and Singham laughed nervously, just to join in the fun. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! Who told you that?! What crazy animal told you that?!"

"Yeah, it's pretty dumb," Singham laughed a little, and soon the mongoose and boar stopped laughing and took a breath. Singham's smile turned upside down when he realized the words he spoke were the same words his father told him and the animals who raised him after his exile just mocked his dead father. Singham stared at the sky and got up to go into the oasis. Tamash and Pravraj looked at the tiger leave, feeling a little guilt in them.

"Was it something I said?" Tamash said to Pravraj.

Singham walked into the oasis, looking down at the grass, until he reached a ledge with desert grass and flowers. Singham raised his head up to the stars and then collapsed his body on the ledge's edge while giving out a sigh, sending dust, flowers, and pollen flying into the sky.

The flying dust and flowers reached into the far ends of the Ambush Lands where in some part of it, green grass flowed with the wind beneath a large mushroom-shaped banyan tree. The dust and plants reached an end when a hand picked them up from the air. That hand was from Ripun, and he sniffed the plants. He grunted and ran down into the roots of the tree where he did most of his work. He pulled out a turtle's shell, put the dust and plants inside it, sifted it, and started to examine it, not before he took a fruit from his side. He ripped it in half, ate one half, and looked at the plants and dust he collected until he made a face of realization.

"Singham?" Ripun looked at the painting of Singham on the thick roots he had painted on. "He's alive. He-he-he's alive!" Ripun laughed and ran to grab his stick he carried with him always. He ran over to the root and grabbed some powder and juice from the fruits below it and began to paint a bigger tiger below the painting of the cub. He laughed with more glee as he painted more strokes on the new painting. He stared at the finished painting with zeal and said, "It is time."

Ripun held his stick and got out of the roots, sunshine shining on his face and he felt blissed. "Oh, great kings," he started to pray, "please give me strength in the journey to convince Singham to come back home and take his rightful place as king. Please show me the way to his whereabouts." Ripun felt wind blow on his face and it blew into the direction to the desert. "Thank you." Ripun began to run into the land, stick in his hand.

* * *

Neethi had walked far from her home until she was at the desert. She was starving and thirsty after walking for a few days. She stared at the sun shining on her face. _I'm so far from home. _Neethi thought to herself. _How am I ever going to find help? I know I'm supposed to let the ambush believe in me, but what if I can't do it? What if the Ambush Lands are doomed forever?_

Neethi looked up at the sky and thought of beseeching to the great kings. "Send me a sign! A hint! Anything!" Neethi sat down on the sand and waited for a moment until she saw dust flowing on the sands in front of her. She felt like it was telling her to go in that direction. The tiger got up and followed the dust. _Okay, maybe I can take a hint, if it's a hint._

She followed the dust for two minutes until her nose caught something clean and fresh. "Could it be?" She reached up a dune and saw a stream of sparkling water. Her eyes twinkled from seeing the sun shining on it. "WATER!" she screamed. She ran down the dune and jumped in the water. She sighed satisfyingly, letting the water cool her fur. She laid in it for five minutes, crossed the stream to the other side, got out, and shook her fur. She began to drink the water with her tongue, taking in the satisfaction of the cold droplets. Her nose caught in a smell that made her mouth water.

"It smells like meat," the white tigress said to herself. "Meat of a pig. No, a wild boar." Her eyes widened, thinking that she had found food after days of starving and dehydrating. She looked up to the sky and thanked the great kings for bringing her to the desert.

She began to walk into a grassy plain that she saw from afar. She smelled if the boar was nearby and it was. Neethi saw from the distance the boar following something. It looked like a dung beetle. The tigress lowered her body in the grass, being careful not to alert herself and not to be seen. She crawled in the grass quietly until she accidentally stepped on a twig. The boar heard it and turned to see in the grass. Neethi hid successfully, not moving a muscle. She saw the boar go over a log, staring at the dung beetle until it flew away. Neethi hunched her shoulders ready to chase and pounce on the boar.


	12. Chapter 11: Reunion

**I'm back with another chapter. Sorry to keep you waiting.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Reunion

Pravraj was distracted by a dung beetle when he was strolling along with Tamash. The boar was far from the mongoose when he followed the dung beetle that he barely saw where he was going. He was about to eat the dung beetle, but it flew on a log. Pravraj snuck and hid near the log, trying not to get detected by the beetle. He got on the log before he heard a rustling sound. He turned to see a grassy plain with long grass behind him.

"Tamash?" the boar asked. The plain was silent and there was nobody out there. The boar shrugged and proceeded to go over the log to get a good look at the dung beetle before eating it. The dung beetle flapped its wings and flew away and Pravraj saw something white hiding in the grass. He squinted his eyes, saw what appeared to be a white tigress, and screamed in fear. The tiger got out of her hiding spot and ran to catch her prey, teeth baring, and claws stretched out.

Pravraj made a run for it while panting heavily. They both ran into the desert oasis. The tigress was almost on the boar's heels, but the boar was the fastest to escape the big cat's claws. Pravraj screamed and gasped until he heard Tamash calling out his name. He raced through some leaves and got stuck in a tree root, trying to squeeze through and dig out by using his hooves.

"Pravraj, what's going on?!" the mongoose demanded.

"SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" Pravraj shouted, almost making the mongoose losing his balance. The mongoose got on the tree root to see what was chasing the boar, and he saw the silhouette of the white tigress.

"Whoa!" Tamash exclaimed and tried to push the helpless pig out of the root. "Why do I always have to save your AAAAAAHHHH!" Tamash screamed loudly as the tigress leaped on both the mongoose and boar. The duo thought it was the end for them, but they were saved by Singham who leapt over Pravraj and landed on the surprised tigress. Two tigers were fighting and clawing at each other. Singham was fighting to protect his guardians and the tigress was fighting for competition of food. Tamash got on the limb of the tree root to see the two tigers dueling.

"Don't worry, Pravraj," the mongoose assured his big pig friend. "It's okay. Everything is gonna be alright." Tamash turned to Singham fighting the tigress. "Get her! Fight her! Bite her head off!" The tigress was strong and big for Singham, but Singham managed to avoid her attacks and swipe at her. "Go for the jugular! The jugular!" Tamash betted. He then turned to Pravraj who was trying to see what was going on. "See, I told you he would come in handy."

Singham pounced on the tigress on the tigress but the tigress flipped him and pinned him on the ground. Singham was startled and recognized that move and only he knew it from his childhood. He stared at the tigress, showing her bare teeth.

"Neethi?" The tigress gasped when she heard her name, and her teeth wasn't sharp and baring anymore. She got off the tiger and backed away from him, examining him. "Is it really you?"

"Who _are _you?" Neethi asked.

"It's me, Singham."

"Singham?" The orange tiger nodded. Neethi paused for realization when he recognized the tiger from his childhood. She noticed features of Mustafa in Singham: red eyes, orange fur, black slender stripes, and his body shape was like that of the past king. "Singham, it _is _you!" The two tigers nuzzled each other and looked at each other. "You are alive! How did you? Where did you come from?"

"How did you… where did you… look at you! It's so great to see you!" Both tigers were enthused and surprised at meeting each other after three years. Tamash, who saw them reunite, had no idea what was going on.

"What's going on?" Tamash asked but the tigers ignored him. He walked between the looming tigers, staring at them, and wanted to know what was going on.

"What are you doing here?" Singham asked Neethi.

"What do you mean 'what am _I_ doing here?' What are _you _doing here?"

"HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" The tigers looked down at the annoyed mongoose.

"Tamash, this is Neethi. She's my best friend."

"Friend?!" the confused Tamash asked.

"Yeah. Hey, Pravraj! Come over here!" The boar pulled himself out the tree root and saw Singham with the tigress and the mongoose. "Neethi, this is Pravraj. Pravraj, Neethi." The boar walked over and saw Neethi who was not looking savage and hungry the last time he saw her.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Whoa, whoa!" Tamash interrupted. "Time out! Let me get this straight. You know her, she knows you. She wants to eat Pravraj, and everybody is okay with this? DID I MISS SOMETHING?!" Tamash was so confused that he was steaming.

"Relax, Tamash," Singham told the mongoose and then turned to Neethi, who was full of glee.

"I can't believe you're alive. Look at you. You look just like your father. If only he was alive to see you."

"Well, look at you. You're almost the same size as me," Singham complimented the tigress' body while taking notice of her shining snow-white fur and her strong physique.

"Wait until everybody finds out you've been here all this time. And your mother. What will she think?"

Singham misunderstood what Neethi said, thinking she was talking about the accident and he still believed that he was responsible for his father's death. "She doesn't have to know. Nobody has to know."

"Of course, they should know! Everybody thinks you're dead."

"They do?"

"Yeah. Scar told us about the stampede."

"He did? What else did he tell you?"

"Does it really matter? The important thing is that you're alive. And that means…" Neethi opened her eyes widely with realization. "…you're the king."

"King?" Tamash repeated the last word with confusion. "Lady, are you crazy or what?" Neethi glared at the mongoose.

"King?" Pravraj repeated the word, but with awe, knowing that Singham was once royalty. "Your Majesty, I gravel at your feet." He bowed down to Singham's paw and kissed it noisily.

"Stop it." Singham pulled his paw away from the pig.

"It's not 'gravel'. It's 'grovel'." Tamash corrected the embarrassed boar. "And he's not the king. Are you, really?" he whispered to Singham.

"No!"

"Singham!" exclaimed Neethi.

"No, I'm not the king! Maybe I was gonna be, but that was a long time ago." Singham walked away from Neethi, Tamash, and Pravraj.

"Let me get this straight. You were the king, and you never even told us?"

Singham turned around to look at Tamash. "Look, I'm still the same guy."

"But with power."

"Could you guys excuse us for a moment?" Neethi asked to Tamash and Pravraj.

"Hey, whatever she has to say, she can say it in front of us. Right, Singham?"

Singham thought and said, "Maybe you better go."

Tamash was surprised by what Singham said to him and Pravraj. It's like he saw a newer version of the orange tiger. "It starts. You think you know a guy." He and Pravraj walked into the bushes, leaving the two tigers alone.

"Tamash and Pravraj. You'll learn to love them." Singham turned to Neethi and his grin turned down when he saw the white tigress' face full of sadness. "What?" He walked over to Neethi, who didn't look at him. Her head was facing down, eyes closed. "What is it?"

"It's like you're back from the dead." Neethi opened her blue eyes and turned to Singham. "You don't know how much this will mean to everyone. What it means to me."

"Hey, it's okay."

Neethi put her head under Singham's chin, shocking the tiger, but he returned her action by nuzzling her. "I've really missed you."

"I've missed you too."

The two tigers rubbed their heads together, not knowing that Tamash and Pravraj were watching them while hiding in the bushes and leaves. Tamash sighed heavily and said, "I'm telling you, Pravraj. This stinks."

"Oh, sorry."

"Not you! _Them!_ Singham, Neethi, alone."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Don't you get it, Pravraj?" Tamash got on the boar's head and stared at the two tigers leaving the oasis. "She's trying to take our Singham away. They're gonna fall in love, and Singham will leave us. He'll probably forget about us and chintaa mastu. Oh, I can just imagine it!" Tamash sounded worried and sad, thinking about Singham and all the moments they had together. "We have to find them! Quick, Pravraj! Move those legs of yours and fast!"

"Okay!" The boar with the mongoose on top of him raced off to find Singham and Neethi out of the oasis and to the places where Singham would usually be.

* * *

Singham took Neethi to a desert waterfall near the oasis where the setting sun sparkled on the water. Neethi began to walk around Singham, and he decided to do the same thing as Neethi. They were taking in each other's movements as they walked near the water and decided to drink. Singham drank the water with his tongue as he stared at Neethi drinking.

_Neethi looks so pretty. _Singham thought to himself. _There are so many things I want to tell her. But how? How can I tell her about my past? If I told her, she'd laugh and walk away from me._ Singham shook off his thoughts and saw Neethi staring at him, confused.

_Singham is holding back something. _Neethi thought to herself. _He's hiding something, but I don't know what. He's not acting like the king I know he is. Deep inside him, there is the boastful and excited cub in him who just couldn't wait to be king. Singham, what happened to you? _As she thought, Singham started to run back into the dune hill. He raced back with full speed and splashed in the water pond.

Neethi looked to see where Singham was until he saw bubbles forming in the water and Singham emerged out of the water, dragging Neethi with him. The tigress sprang out of the water, gasping and she got back onto the sand, shivering and dripping. Singham got out of the water and Neethi pushed him into the water playfully. Soon the two tigers chased each other in the grass, birds flying away from them. They reached the small jungle and they began to tussle and play fight with each other like they used to do when they were kids. Then it led them to fall and tumble down a hillside, leading to Singham pinning Neethi for the first time.

Singham felt happy after pinning Neethi and knowing he was not the one pinned on the ground this time. Neethi licked Singham's cheek, almost like a kiss. Singham was startled and looked at Neethi, who was staring and smiling at him seductively. Singham smiled back at her. Later, they rubbed their heads together, embracing their love for each other.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pravraj and Tamash walked in the jungle trying to find the two tigers. Tamash lowered his head, thinking that Singham was long gone. "Well, it's official," Tamash grumbled. "I have no idea where they are. Maybe he left us for good."

"I don't think so," Pravraj stopped when he caught sight of Singham and Neethi.

"What do you mean?" Tamash asked. "Why have you stopped?" Tamash looked at Pravraj's eyes and looked in his direction to see Singham and Neethi nuzzling each other and Tamash felt tears in his eyes when he saw Singham lick Neethi's cheek. He got off from Pravraj's nape and landed on the ground. "It can't be true."

"But it _is_ true," Pravraj said.

"She's making those eyes," Tamash noticed.

"And he's smiling that smile."

"They're laughing and hugging and… he felt the love tonight. They've eloped." Tamash's tears came out and hugged Pravraj's leg. The boar assured the mongoose with his hoof.

"I guess it means he's leaving us for good," Pravraj sniffled. The boar and mongoose saw the two tigers leave the spot they were on, and when they were gone, they began to sob.


	13. Chapter 12: Singham Meets Ripun

**Redwalllover28, thank you for suggesting me names for the characters of TLK2. I'll see what I can do with that information.**

**I was struggling on how to write this chapter. I was trying my own way on how Singham was going to meet Ripun and I was trying not to copy the original scene.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Singham Meets Ripun

Singham and Neethi walked in another part of the oasis jungle on a log, admiring the environment around them and the indigo sky on top of them. In front of them was a hammock made of vines tied between two date palm trees.

"Isn't this a great place?" Singham asked Neethi as they approached the hammock.

"It is beautiful," answered Neethi, "but I don't understand something. You've been alive all this time. Why didn't you come back to Ambush Temple?"

Singham answered while he got on the hammock, relaxing himself, "Well, I needed to get out on my own and live my own life. I did, and it's great."

"We really needed you at home."

"No one needs me."

"Yes, we do!" Neethi exclaimed. "You're the king."

"Neethi, we've already been through this. I'm not the king. Scar is."

Neethi got her forepaws on the hammock to get to Singham's eye level. "Singham, he let the dholes take over the Ambush Lands."

"What?" Singham exclaimed. He couldn't believe that his own uncle would let the tigers' enemy into the lands and disrupt the balance of the circle of life.

"Everything is destroyed. There is no food and no water. If you don't do something soon, Singham, everyone will starve." Neethi got her forelegs on the ground while Singham got off the hammock and walking away from the tigress.

"I can't go back," Singham argued, still feeling guilty about what happened with his father.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand?!"

Singham turned around to face Neethi. "No, no. It doesn't matter. Chintaa mastu."

"What?" Neethi looked at Singham, confused on the last two words he spoke.

"Chintaa mastu," Singham repeated while trying to walk away from Neethi. "It's something I learned out here. Look, sometimes, bad things happen."

"Singham." The tigress tried to get the exiled prince to listen to her, but he refused to.

"And there is nothing you can do about, so why worry?" Singham trodded on the log while Neethi followed him but walking on the ground.

"Because it's your responsibility!" Neethi shouted as Singham stopped and turned to her.

"Well, what about you? You left," Singham angrily said.

"I left to find help, and I found you. Don't you understand?! You're our only hope."

"Sorry," Singham said.

Neethi was astonished at what Singham had become. "What's happened to you? You're not the Singham I remember."

"You're right. I'm not. Now are you satisfied?"

"No. Just disappointed."

Hearing the word "disappointed" and Neethi's tone reminded Singham of his last moment with his father before he died. "You know, you're starting to sound like my father." Singham got off the log and walked away from Neethi, not staring at her.

"Good. At least one of us does."

Singham stopped, feeling insulted at what Neethi said to him. He was angry and turned to Neethi furiously, shouting, "Listen! You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life?! You don't even know what I've been through!" He turned away from Neethi and began to walk out of the jungle and into the desert.

"I would if you'd just tell me!" Neethi pleaded.

"Forget it!" Singham shouted from afar.

"Fine!" Neethi shouted back, turning her head away from Singham. She felt angry and regretful after arguing with her lover.

Singham was far from Neethi and was pacing in the small desert sand, still angry about what happened. "She's wrong. I can't go back. What would it prove, anyway? It won't change anything. You can't change the past." Singham's pacing slowed down and he looked up at the stars, wondering if his father is up there. "YOU SAID YOU'D ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME!" Singham shouted. "But you're not." Singham lowered his head, feeling so much guilt and sadness. "And it's because of _me_. It's my fault. It's all my fault." Singham choked back his tears while lowering his head to the ground. He stopped crying when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" an elderly voice said. Singham flinched and turned around to see a black gibbon holding a stick with fruits tied on the top. "Take it easy. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Well, don't you know you're not suppose to sneak behind someone to get their attention?"

"That's funny. Usually, it would be a tiger to sneak up behind someone, but not an old gibbon like me. Say, what were you doing? Shouting at the sky and talking to yourself like a lunatic. That's probably the first sign of insanity."

Singham felt embarrassed that somebody watched him but came back to his senses. "I'm not as insane as you are. Sneaking up behind someone. You probably know better than that. Besides, who are you anyway?"

"I think the big question is 'who are _you_?'"

Singham didn't argue back and decided to admit, "I thought I knew. Now I'm not so sure."

"Well, I'll tell you who you are. You are a gibbon, and I'm not," the old ape laughed. Singham frowned and didn't like being joked at.

"I'm starting to think you're the crazy one," Singham muttered as he walked away from the ape. "I think you're a little confused."

"Wrong!" Singham felt a finger point at his nose. The tiger was shocked to see the gibbon appear in front of him like magic. " I'm not the one who's confused. You don't even know who you are."

"Let me guess," Singham sarcastically said. "I'm a gibbon, and you're not."

"This time, I'm being serious."

"And I suppose you know who I am?" Singham felt irritated at being pestered by the gibbon.

"Of course I do. You're Mustafa's boy." Singham gasped when he heard his father's name and turned to the ape. "Bye." The gibbon ran off in the desert rapidly.

"Wait! Come back!" Singham ran to find the gibbon. He ran past some dunes until he saw the gibbon meditating on a rock near the jungle. Singham panted and asked the silent gibbon, "You knew my father?"

"Correction: I _know _your father."

Singham realized the gibbon didn't know that Mustafa died three years ago, or in the gibbon's knowledge, he was in contact with his spirit. "I hate to tell you this, but he died… a long time ago."

"Nope!" the gibbon shouted as he got off the rock and ran near the trees. "Wrong again! He's alive, and I'll show him to you. You follow old Ripun. He knows the way. Come on!" Ripun disappeared in the trees.

Singham ran to the trees, looked inside, and decided to go in the jungle. He crawled between some roots and the foliage was hard to see anything. He couldn't find Ripun until he saw up in the trees.

"Don't dawdle. Hurry up!"

"Wait, wait," Singham demanded. He ran to catch up to the fast gibbon who was swinging on the trees. "Will you slow down a bit?" Singham ran until he got caught in vines. He broke out of them and struggled to follow the swinging ape, who was laughing and whooping. He ran in the direction of Ripun while avoiding some leaves and branches.

"STOP!" Singham ran until he saw the image of Ripun ordering him to stop in front of him. The tiger ceased running, almost near the gibbon's hand in front of his face.


	14. Chapter 13: The King Has Returned

**I can't believe I'll be almost done with this story. Just two or three more chapters left and I'll be done.**

* * *

Chapter 13: The King Has Returned

_"STOP!" Singham ran until he saw the image of Ripun ordering him to stop in front of him. The tiger ceased running, almost near the gibbon's hand in front of his face._

Ripun shushed Singham and pulled down some reeds with his staff. "Look down there," he whispered. Singham went over to the reeds and stared at a small pool of water, blue ripples shining on his face. On the water wasn't his father but a reflection of himself, mature and all. Singham felt disappointed and sighed.

"That's not my father. It's just my reflection."

"No," Ripun disagreed. "Look harder." Ripun pointed at the water and Singham stared at it hardly. Small ripples formed, distorting Singham's image and brought in the image of Mustafa. "You see? He lives in you."

Singham was awestruck at seeing his father's face after so many years. He turned to see Ripun not at his side. He vanished without a trace. The water's ripples stopped, and Singham heard a rumbling sound from the skies. "_Singham."_ The tiger looked up to see a giant ghostly tiger walking from the stars. Clouds were forming around the ghostly tiger and he revealed himself to be Mustafa as his image looked more colored, shades of blue and purple.

Singham felt the wind blow on his body. "Father, is that you?" he asked.

"Singham, you have forgotten me."

"No. How could I?"

"You have forgotten who you are, and so you have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Singham. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the circle of life."

"But how can I go back?! I'm not who I used to be." Singham was almost blinded by golden and white light as he saw his father's ghost glowing with white clouds swirling around him, creating a heavenly look.

"Remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king." Singham stared at his father, his face showing awe, fear, and sadness in him. Mustafa began to vanish in the clouds as he repeated "Remember who you are."

Singham raced after the clouds calling out to Mustafa, "No! Please! Don't leave me! Father!" The clouds thundered and disappeared as Mustafa whispered _"remember"_. "Don't leave me." Singham was left out of the small forest and into the desert where he watched his father's image go off. The wind blew on the sand around him as he stared at the sky.

"What was that?!" Singham heard Ripun's voice as he walked over to the tiger. The gibbon laughed and said, "The weather. It's very peculiar. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. It seems like the winds are changing."

"Ah. Change is good."

"Yeah, but it's not gonna be easy. I know what I have to do now." Ripun listened while rubbing his chin. "But going back means I have to face my past. I've been running away from it for so long." After he finished his realization, Singham felt his head whacked by Ripun's staff. It felt painful, and Singham put his paw on his head. "Ow! Hey! What was that for?!"

"It doesn't matter! It's in the past."

"Yeah, but it still hurts." Singham rubbed his head and checked if there was blood on it. Luckily, there wasn't a drop.

"Yes, the past _can_ hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from or… learn from it." Ripun swung his staff at Singham, but he was quick enough to dodge it. "Ha! You see? So what are you going to do?"

"First, I'm gonna take your stick." Singham smiled deviously and grabbed Ripun's staff off his hand with his mouth, throwing it to the sand.

"No, not my staff!" Ripun ran to grab his staff and turned to see Singham running off out of the desert. "Hey, where are you going?!"

"I'm going back!" Singham answered from afar as he ran.

"Good! Go on! Get out of here!" Ripun laughed and whooped for succeeding in giving Singham the courage to go back home, along with the help of Mustafa. "Oh, thank you, Mustafa." Ripun spoke to the sky. "Thank you for helping me bring Singham out of his predicament." He felt the wind blow on his face and looked at the stars shooting across the sky. "Now I have to tell his friends about his whereabouts." Ripun then headed towards the direction of the oasis.

* * *

Neethi walked over to find Tamash and Pravraj snoring and sleeping near a tree. She saw Tamash asleep on Pravraj's belly and tapped him to get his attention. "Hey. Hey, wake up." Tamash woke up and turned to see Neethi's blue eyes in his view. He screamed which woke up Pravraj, making him scream as well. "It's okay! Whoa, whoa! It's okay! It's me!" Neethi shouted as the mongoose-wild boar duo stopped screaming.

"Don't ever do that again!" Tamash walked on Pravraj's belly to reach Neethi's eye level. "Carnivores, ugh."

"Have you guys seen Singham?"

"I thought he was with _you_."

"He was but now I can't find him. Where is he?" Neethi, Tamash, and Pravraj heard laughter on top of a branch and saw Ripun sitting on it. Tamash and Pravraj had never seen him before.

"You won't find him here!" Ripun laughed. "The king… has returned."

"I can't believe it," Neethi said quietly. She raised her voice with amazement and said, "He's gone back!"

"Gone back?" Tamash got off Pravraj's belly and landed on the ground while Pravraj got on his four legs. "What do you mean?" The three turned to see Ripun gone. "Hey! What's going on here? Who's the ape?!"

"Singham has gone back to challenge Scar."

"Who?"

"Scar."

"Who's got a scar?" Pravraj asked.

"No, no. It's his uncle."

"The ape is his uncle?"

"No! Singham has gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as king" After Neethi explain clearly to the duo, they understood simultaneously. "He's probably off to Ambush Temple right now. I need to follow him."

"Well, if you're going, we're going too," Tamash said.

"Really?" Neethi asked.

"That's right," Pravraj joined in. "We took care of him ever since we found him as a cub, and now he's taking responsibility on his own as a grownup. We'll be by his side, no matter what happens." Neethi smiled, seeing the boar speak bravely. Tamash rode on Pravraj as they were both ready to go.

"Then let's go. I know the way, so follow me." And so, Neethi ran off out of the oasis with Tamash and Pravraj following behind.

* * *

Singham ran into the direction of his homeland for what appeared to be two days. He passed deserts and plains until he reached a wasteland. The whole land was dry and barren. Trees died, and vegetation was scarce. The riverbed was droughted. Skeletons of buffalo and deer were scattered all over the place. Singham knew this was the Ambush Lands and he was flabbergasted at the whole view of the area.

_ Neethi was right. _He thought to himself. _Everything is destroyed. There is no life out here. What has Scar done to this place? My home._

Singham looked around the wasteland and walked up to a ledge to see the entirety of the land under Scar's rule. He looked at what used to be the jungle and saw Ambush Temple covered in vines and it almost looked abandoned. He lowered his eyebrows and his eyes were filled with determination and anger towards what Scar had done.

"Singham! Wait up!" Singham turned to see Neethi catch up to him, walking towards him. "It's awful, isn't it?"

"I didn't want to believe you."

"What made you come back?"

"I finally got some sense knocked into me, and I've got the bump to prove it," Singham recounted his encounter with Ripun and then turned to look at Ambush Temple. "Besides, this is my kingdom. If I don't fight for it, who will?"

"I will." Neethi joined Singham's side.

"It's gonna be dangerous."

"Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha ha." Neethi repeated Singham's words from the time they were in the elephant graveyard before they met the dholes. Seeing Neethi repeat those words made Singham feel nostalgic.

"I see nothing funny about this." The tigers turned to see Tamash and Pravraj behind them.

"Tamash? Pravraj? What are you doing here?"

"At your service, my liege," Pravraj bowed down which made Singham smile.

Tamash walked over to Singham's front paw. He saw Ambush Temple and felt disgusted at the look of it. "Ugh, we're gonna fight your uncle for _this_?"

"Yes, Tamash. This is my home."

"Oh, talk about your fixer-upper," Tamash said to himself and turned to look at Singham. "Well, Singham, if it's important to you, we're with you to the end." Singham smiled knowing he had supporting friends beside him. They all looked at Ambush Temple while dark clouds loomed over straight ahead.

"Come on, guys," Singham said. "Let's get going."


	15. Chapter 14: Scar's Confession

**Finally, here is the chapter of Scar confessing his crime. Hope you enjoy it.**

**I decided to take some parts from the original film and remake it into my own version. For example, in the film, Timon does the hula. The Broadway version has the Charleston. And in here, Tamash and Pravraj do the kathak, which is a classical Indian dance.**

**Also I wanted to have a part where Zaceev witnessing the confession, unlike in the original film where we don't see Zazu reacting to it, but we could probably guess he heard it while being caged up.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Scar's Confession

As the quartet, consisiting of two tigers, a mongoose, and a wild boar, walked out of the ledge they stood on and walked towards Ambush Temple on the dry land, Neethi felt conflicted in her mind that she didn't tell Singham the other reason why she left.

"Singham, there's something I need to tell you."

"Can it wait?" Singham asked the tigress. "Right after I deal with Scar, you can tell me what's on your mind."

"But it's about my departure from Ambush Temple. There's another reason why I left."

"What more there is? You told me you left to find help."

"Yes, but because your mother and mine told me to."

Both the tigers stopped walking and so did Pravraj and Tamash. "What are you trying to say, Neethi?" Singham was puzzled at Neethi's words.

"If I tell you, do you promise me not to let what I say affect your mission and think of me differently?" Singham nodded. Tamash and Pravraj listened as Neethi took a deep breath. "Scar asked me to be his queen."

"He did _what_?" Singham's voice grew a little harsh.

"I was shocked as much as you are right now, Singham. I didn't want to be Scar's queen." Neethi then recounted the event to Singham and his friends, starting from when she asked Scar to change his ways to when she was banished out of Ambush Temple. Tamash and Pravraj didn't like hearing about Scar and what he did. "And that's all. I hope you don't think of me differently."

"I don't. Thanks for telling me, but I promise you, Scar will go down tenfold."

"You're welcome."

As the quartet walked near Ambush Temple, they hid near some dead trees and saw the temple filled with dholes. Most of them were walking around doing nothing while some were sleeping and chewing on bones.

"Dholes," Tamash said with fear and disgust. "I hate dholes. So, what's you plan getting past those guys?"

"Live bait," Singham whispered to Tamash.

"Good idea." Singham and Neethi stared at Tamash and Pravraj, who were both shocked at what they meant. "Hey! No way. We're not doing it."

"Come on, Tamash. You guys have to create a distraction."

"What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the kathak?"

Later, Tamash and Pravraj got in front of some dholes guarding the premises of the temple and prepared their distraction. The dholes turned their attention when they heard ancient Indian music playing and saw Tamash dressed in a pink choli and sari and Pravraj dressed in a white bandi with a blue vest. The duo danced to the music, making hand gestures and eloquent movements to match with the Indian music.

"Look at that, guys," one dhole said to his partners. "Dinner _and_ a show."

Tamash and Pravraj gulped as they saw the dholes were coming closer to them, mouths salivating and tongues drooling out. The mongoose and boar saw Singham and Neethi walking behind the dholes, being careful not to make a sound. Once they got near Ambush Temple, the Indian music stopped and Tamash and Pravraj looked at each other.

"Now?" Pravraj asked.

"Now!" Tamash confirmed. The duo screamed and ran off from the dholes, who were following them and barking.

Singham and Neethi had reached Ambush Temple and managed to avoid getting spotted by the dholes there. They snuck inside the temple and saw Zaceev locked up in the ribcage.

"Zaceev, is that you?" Singham approached the cage to see the depressed Zaceev. The bird looked up, saw Singham's face and gasped.

"Singham? Is it really you or are my eyes playing tricks with me?"

"Yes, it's really me, Mr. Banana Beak." Zaceev laughed at the name Singham gave him from before until he almost teared up. Neethi shushed Zaceev into not making a sound.

"But how can it be? Scar told us you were dead."

"No time to explain," Neethi said as she removed the rock from one side and Singham removed the other with their paws. Neethi kicked the ribcage and Zaceev flew out, feeling free and excited at the same time. He flew down in front of the tigers and cleared his throat, coming back to normal.

"No time for celebrations," Zaceev promptly said. "Singham, things have changed since you disappeared. You have to defeat Scar and take your place as king."

"Do you know where he is?" the orange tiger asked.

"I heard him go up to the balcony." Singham nodded and turned to Neethi.

"Neethi, you find my mother and rally the tigresses. I'll look for Scar." And in doing so, the tigers went their separate ways with Zaceev following Neethi. Singham went up to where another separate throne room was. He saw Scar standing on the balcony and heard him shouting, "SAHIIIBAAA!" Singham gasped a little and hid behind the throne, not letting Scar see him.

Down below, Sahiba walked through the pack of dholes, not caring about them growling, snarling, and barking at her. The tangerine-colored tigress walked up the stairs leading to the throne room where Singham was hiding. Singham didn't like seeing the state of her mom. She always held the title of queen with dignity in her, but now, she felt down and depressed ever since Scar ruled the lands. Sahiba walked over to the scarred tiger and approached behind him. Singham looked behind the throne to see the two tigers conversing.

"Yes, Scar?"

"Where is your hunting party? They're not doing their job."

"Scar, there's no food. The herds have moved on."

"No! You're just not looking hard enough!"

"It's over. There is nothing left. We have only one choice. We must leave Ambush Temple."

"We're not going anywhere."

"Then you have sentenced us to death." Sahiba was getting angry at Scar's stubbornness.

"Then so be it!" Sahiba was amazed at what Scar said to her. She couldn't believe that Scar would let everybody who lived in the temple die, even there's nothing left in the Ambush Lands.

"You can't do that."

"I am the king. I can do whatever I want."

"If you were half the king Mustafa was-"

"I'm ten times the king Mustafa was!" Scar felt triggered when he heard his brother's name for the millionth time and he turned to Sahiba to slap her to the ground with his paw, sending her inside the throne room. Singham growled angrily when he saw the whole occurrence. Thunder clapped as his image startled Scar, thinking it was Mustafa back from the dead. "Mustafa? No, you're dead. How is it possible?! Tell me! Are you demon or are you ghost?! Please, brother! Have mercy on me!"

Singham ignored the mad king and went over to his mom. He woke her up with his muzzle and Sahiba opened her eyes, turning to Singham. "Mustafa?"

"No," Singham disclaimed. "It's me, Singham."

"Singham? You're alive." Sahiba was delighted to see her son after three years but she was confused as well. "How can that be?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm home." Singham nuzzled his mom lovingly.

"Singham?" Scar was surprised at seeing his nephew alive, but he remained calm and kept his balance. "Singham. I'm a little surprised to see you _alive._" He turned to see Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans, who were standing behind him, and gave them a furious glare. The dholes gulped and walked away from the king and out of the throne room.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you into pieces." Singham walked towards his uncle while Sahiba stared with pride, knowing that Singham will get rid of Scar.

"Oh, Singham, you must understand." Scar walked backwards out of the throne room and into another room. He felt cornered and backed into a wall as Singham walked towards him. "The pressures of ruling a kingdom-"

"Are no longer yours. Step down, Scar."

"Oh, yes, I would, naturally. However, there is one little problem. You see them?" Scar pointed up to the ceiling and out of the railings were dholes. Hundreds of dholes laughing and growling as the thunder revealed themselves, their yellow eyes glowing and orange pelts shining. "They think I'm king."

"Well, we don't." Scar and Singham turned to see Neethi with the other tigresses, her mom included, and Zaceev. Saroj and another tigress helped Sahiba get up. "Singham is the rightful king."

"Sahiba, are you alright?" Zaceev asked the former queen.

"I'm fine, thanks." Sahiba joined Neethi and Saroj by their sides along with the tigresses and Zaceev landing on Sahiba's shoulder.

"Oh, I see somebody already let the chicken out of its coop," Scar commented as he glared at Zaceev. "And look, the exile has returned." Saroj glared angrily at Scar as she put her front paw in front of her daughter.

"They're not important right now, Scar!" Singham shouted. "Don't change the subject. The choice is yours. You either step down or fight."

"Oh, must this all end in violence?" Scar proceeded to walk in front of the tigresses, hornbill added. "I hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Singham?"

"That's not gonna work, Scar. I put the past behind me."

"But what about your faithful subjects? Have they put it behind them?"

"Singham, what is he talking about?" Neethi was confused.

"Ah, so you haven't told them your little secret." Scar circled around Singham and then proceeded back to the tigresses. "Well, Singham, now is your chance to tell them. Tell them who is responsible for Mustafa's death!"

Everybody was staring at Singham to answer Scar, from the dholes to the tigresses. Singham took a step forward and confessed, "I am." The tigresses were befuddled and shocked at the same time. Zaceev had no words to say. Neethi understood that was the reason why Singham was acting strange back at the desert oasis. Sahiba walked over to her son while Zaceev flew off her and landed on Neethi's shoulder.

"It's not true," Sahiba said with grief. "Tell me it's not true."

Singham looked at his mother and regretfully confirmed the truth. "It's true."

"You see?! He admits it! _Murderer_!" Lightning crashed and flashed the room as Scar uttered that word.

"No! It was an accident." As Singham tried to reason with Scar, he began to circle around his nephew like he was on trial.

"If it weren't for you, Mustafa would still be alive! It's your fault he's dead! Do you deny it?!

"No."

"Then you're guilty!"

"No! I'm not a murderer! You have to believe me!" Singham saw on top of the railings the dholes jumping down to corner him on Scar's command. Singham walked backwards as Scar and the dholes walked forward to him. They were now on the balcony and Singham was near the edge of it.

"Oh, Singham, you're in trouble again. But this time, Daddy isn't here to save you. And now everyone knows WHY!"

Singham slipped on the loose stone railing causing it to break and fall off. He was clinging on the edge with his forepaws. Lightning struck the whole scene and ignited the ground, causing fire to form all over the temple.

"SINGHAM!" Neethi shouted. She wanted to jump out and save Singham but couldn't as the dholes blocked the tigresses' way.

"Now this looks familiar. Where have I seen this before? Let me think." Scar pretended to think as Singham tried to climb up, holding onto the edge for his sake. "Oh yes, I remember. This is just the way your father looked before he died." Singham's claws slipped on the stone and Scar grabbed onto Singham the same way he did to his father. "And here's my little secret," he began to whisper in Singham's ear. "I killed Mustafa."

Singham's eyes widened as he heard it all. What he thought was his fault all his life was false. It was Scar who killed his father and he manipulated him into thinking he was responsible for his father's death. Singham's head flashbacked to the moment when he saw his father fall into the water buffalo stampede.

"NOOOOOOO!" Singham lunged up at Scar and pinned him on his back. "MURDERER!" The tigresses are bedazzled by what was going on. Scar felt nervous and surprised at Singham's mood.

"No, Singham, please." He tried to beg for Singham to stop, but Singham wasn't gonna fall for his uncle's treachery.

"Tell them the truth!"

"The truth? But the truth is in the eye of the beholder." Scar felt Singham's claws near his throat as he choked him. "All right, all right." He quietly said, "I did it."

"Louder so they can hear you." The dholes and tigresses, even the hornbill, watched the drama occur. What occurred next gave the tigresses and Zaceev more shock and anger in them when they heard Scar spat out with force in his voice,

"I KILLED MUSTAFA!"


	16. Chapter 15: Final Battle

**How about that new "live-action" Lion King trailer we got three days ago? It was great and I'm hyped for it.**

**Here's the second to last chapter I worked on. Guest reviewer Calvin, I wasn't thinking of Scar of going into a rant on why he killed Mustafa and I didn't add Neethi fighting alongside Singham against Scar. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected. I hope you still like what I wrote.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Final Battle

_"I KILLED MUSTAFA!"_

From hearing those three words, the tigresses and Zaceev had a mix of emotions in them. They felt shock, anger, and vengeance in them. Sahiba felt fire in herself, knowing her husband was killed by his own brother. Zaceev fought back tears and was boiling mad at Scar from all the torture he endured from him.

"You traitor!" Neethi shouted to Scar. "You're not fit to be a king nor are you worthy of holding the title!"

Singham was about to fight Scar, but the dholes were quick enough to defend their king by jumping on Singham and biting him. Neethi led the tigresses into attacking the dholes. Following her was Sahiba and Saroj. Zaceev flew with them and began to peck on the dholes, damaging their heads and causing them to flee from the hornbill or fighting back at him. Singham tried to get the dholes off him so he could get to Scar who had already escaped when the tigresses fought the orange dogs, but the dholes managed to overpower Singham. Neethi clawed and knocked off some dholes that were about to attack Singham.

The dholes overpowered the tigers, but they fought back with their strength. Suddenly, Pravraj with Tamash riding on him came ramming through the dholes. The dholes were flying out of the balcony as the boar crashed through them. Tamash got off and fought alongside with the tigers.

Singham was free from the pack of dholes and ran to find Scar, but one dhole jumped on him and bit him on the neck. The tiger roared in pain but stopped when the dhole was whacked by a stick with fruits tied at the top of it. That stick belonged to Ripun who had come to join the battle. Ripun let out a battle screech and was in the center of a few dholes. The wise gibbon may have been old, but he still had some strength and stamina in him. He managed to dodge some dholes here and there and he whacked them with his stick.

The dholes realized they were being overpowered by the tigers and their allies, a mongoose, a boar, a hornbill, and a gibbon. Some of them left the fiery battlefield while most of them stayed and fought. Singham and Neethi threw some dholes off the balcony and they fell to their burning deaths.

"Singham!" Neethi shouted. "We'll handle the dholes! Go find Scar and finish him for good!" Singham nodded and ran upstairs to find his uncle.

Zaceev avoided some dholes as he flew over them and he saw Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans fighting with Tamash. The mongoose was cornered by the dhole trio in the empty room next to the throne room, and Zaceev flew and pecked on the female dhole's head, causing her to wince in pain.

"Ow! Get that pesky bird!" Shikaar shouted to Bandi while Hans caught Tamash. Bandi caught Zaceev's tail feathers with his teeth and dragged him to the floor. He squashed him with his paw and Hans spat Tamash out of his mouth and pinned him with his paw. The three dholes laughed sinisterly.

"Please, don't eat me," Tamash begged the dholes.

"Let them go!" Everybody turned to see Pravraj at the entrance of the room. He was furious at seeing his friends in danger.

"Isn't this just great?" Shikaar grinned. "First, we can have the hornbill and the mongoose as appetizers."

"Yes," Bandi agreed as he licked his lips. "And for the main course, a pig."

Hearing that word offended Pravraj and he didn't like it when anybody called him a pig. Only his friends could call him a pig. "Are you talking to me?"

"Uh oh, you called him the pig," Tamash said to the dholes as he only knows what happens when someone calls him a pig. The dholes didn't realize what was going to happen to them.

"Are _you _talking to me?"

"You shouldn't have done that."

"ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?!"

"Now you're in for it."

"They call me MIS-TER PIG!" Pravraj screamed as he charged at the bewildered dholes. They were rammed by him, releasing Tamash and Pravraj from their grasps. Tamash got on Shikaar and began to pull her ears and poke her eyes, causing her to scream in pain.

"Take this and that!" Zaceev exclaimed as he pecked on Bandi. "This is for all the times you humiliated me and put me in that birdie boiler!"

"We were just joking around! No need to get serious!"

"Oh, save your breath!" The dholes ran out of the room, whelping and feeling scared.

"And stay out!" Pravraj shouted. The three began to whoop and got back into the battlefield. They made such a good team.

Singham ran up a flight of stairs to find Scar. He looked around, and he couldn't see him in the dark. Only the red smoky sky was his light. Lightning flashed, and he saw Scar about to walk up the stairs. Singham roared and chased after Scar. The scarred tiger ran up the stars with haste until he reached the roof of the temple. He looked down and there was no way he could jump as there was fire consuming the temple grounds. Scar turned around and saw Singham walking up to him with anger in his eyes.

"Murderer."

"Singham, please. Please have mercy. I beg you."

"You don't deserve to live."

"But Singham, I… I… I am family. It was the dholes who are the real enemy. It was their fault. They pressured me into doing it. It was their idea." What Singham and Scar were unaware of was Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans heard the whole thing and they felt betrayed. They exited the roof and walked downstairs, growling and angry at themselves for believing in Scar.

"That jerk!" Shikaar shouted. "That big fat jerk! He used us, and we fell for his trick! He betrayed us!"

"Don't worry," Bandi said. "We'll get back at him. Right, Hans?" Hans nodded. "Good. Let's get the others." The three dholes walked down some flights of stairs.

Back at the roof of the temple, Singham walked closer to Scar who had become unsure of what Singham was going to do to him.

"Why should I believe you? Everything you've ever told me was a lie."

"What are you going to do? You wouldn't kill your own uncle."

"No, Scar. I'm not like you. You think because you killed my father, that means you're better than him? Well, let me tell you this. You're nothing. You're just miserable and sad on the inside." Scar was mentally shocked when Singham gave him the you-suck speech. "You're just a coward. All my life, I had thought myself I was responsible for my father's death. But I was wrong. I was a fool to believe you and now, I'm not gonna fall for your lies anymore. So, I'm gonna let you go."

"Oh, thank you, Singham." Scar was relieved that Singham wasn't going to kill him. "You are very noble. I'll make it up to you. Just how can I prove myself to you? Just tell me."

"Run. Run away, Scar, and never return."

"Yes. Of course." Scar began to sneak away from Singham while turning to look at a pile of hot coals. "As you wish, your MAJESTY!" Scar swiped the coals with his paw into Singham's face. He gave out a cry of pain as he wiped them off his face. Scar leapt on Singham and they began to fight. Scar pounded Singham on the roof, but the young tiger swiped his uncle away. He got up and brawled with his uncle until he was weak to fight.

"This is for Neethi!" Singham slapped Scar on the face. "This is for my family!" Singham gave him another slap. "And this is for you!"

"Think again, nephew!" Scar avoided Singham's slap and knocked him on his back. Singham saw his uncle about to pounce on him and when he got on him, Singham used the similar attack Neethi used on him to throw him out of the roof. Scar tumbled on the temple's towers until he landed on the ground. The prince looked to see if Scar was dead. Scar weakly got up and saw Shikaar, Bandi, and Hans walk up in front of him. He smiled as he saw them. "Ah, my friends."

"Friends?" Shikaar laughed. "I thought he said we were the enemy."

"Yeah," Bandi agreed. "That's what I heard." Scar made an expression of fear and nervousness as he realized they eavesdropped on him and he lied just so he could save himself. Shikaar and Bandi turned to Hans and asked if he heard what they heard as well. Hans laughed sinisterly and out of the flames were hundreds of dholes walking up to Scar with wide grins and frowning faces.

"No. Please l-l-let me explain." The dholes weren't listening to Scar as they got closer and closer to the defenseless tiger. "You don't understand. I didn't mean it. No! No!" Scar continued to beg for his life and the dholes ignored him. They jumped on him and they began to eat him. Scar screamed out in defeat and pain as the flames grew large around him. Singham looked away from the image of his uncle being defeated by his allies.


	17. Chapter 16: Happy Ending

**Finally, the last chapter of The Tiger King!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Happy Ending

After the whole battle finished and Scar was defeated for good, the dholes left Ambush Temple forever to wherever they went. The rains came pouring down and extinguished the flames. It was a cleansing of a new monarchy. Singham walked downstairs until he reached the floor to where the throne room was. He saw Zaceev with Tamash and Pravraj as he exited the steps.

"Your Majesty." The hornbill bowed down and so did Tamash and Pravraj. Singham was greeted by Saroj and some of the tigresses who survived the battle. They bowed their heads down in respect. Sahiba went up to her son and nuzzled her head with his. Neethi was beside Sahiba and nuzzled her head against Singham's. Singham licked Neethi's cheek. Everybody turned to hear fruits rustling and that was Ripun who was motioning inside the throne room to Singham. The tiger went up to the gibbon and everybody followed him.

Ripun bowed down to Singham, but the tiger grabbed the gibbon and hugged him. Ripun accepted the hug as it was Singham's way of saying thanks. "It is time," Ripun said.

Singham majestically exited out of the temple and into the rain on the balcony and everybody were ready to see him become crowned king. Neethi, Sahiba, and Saroj were proud, Zaceev was in awe, and Tamash and Pravraj looked with amazement. Singham walked near the edge of the balcony and saw up in the sky, clouds were opening to reveal stars and there was one star that twinkled brighter and it was bigger than the other stars.

_"Remember."_ Singham heard his father's voice and gained confidence and strength in himself. He roared out into the sky, the mightiest roar ever. The tigresses roared back, and Singham roared out more.

* * *

A few weeks later, the rains left, and the Ambush Lands was full of green again. The trees were full of leaves, grass and flowers sprouted, and all the animals came back. Ambush Temple was free of vines and it looked better than before.

It was during those weeks that Singham and Neethi decided to get married. Singham asked Saroj for her blessing to have Neethi as his wife, and she accepted. Neethi did the same to Sahiba, and she accepted it as well. Everyone knew how close Singham and Neethi were, and they accepted them as a couple, even if back then they didn't want to get married and they thought of themselves as friends.

Rows of tigresses were in the throne room and sitting near the throne were Singham and Neethi. On the left of Singham was his mother, and the right of Neethi was her mother. On the right side of the room, Tamash, Pravraj, and Zaceev watched the ceremony. Ripun exited the balcony and walked over to the tiger couple. He rattled them with his staff knowing that they are blessed.

"Oh, isn't this lovely?" Pravraj asked Tamash. "I just love happy endings."

"I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry," Tamash sniffled and tried to hold back his tears but failed. The mongoose sobbed on Pravraj's front leg and Zaceev comforted him by patting his back. "I just hope she takes care of our boy."

"He's my boy, actually," Sahiba corrected the mongoose. Singham chuckled a little.

"And don't worry," Neethi joined in. "I will." She winked at Tamash and Pravraj which caused them to drop their mouths. Zaceev laughed at their reactions.

Singham and Neethi prepared to walk towards the balcony with Sahiba and Saroj following them. The tigresses bowed down as the couple walked out of the room. Singham and Neethi reached the balcony and Sahiba and Saroj joined their children. They looked down to see multitudes of animals ready to see the procession.

Since Sahiba was the former queen before, she roared first, then Singham, for he had become the new king. All four tigers standing on the balcony roared out, letting the animals hear them. The rest of the ambush inside the temple roared back and it was settled. Singham and Neethi were officially married and were mated for life. The animals cheered for their new king and queen. Singham looked up at the sky and saw a beam of light shining on him.

_"I'm proud of you, my son." _Singham teared up a little as he heard his father from the clouds. Leaves flew around him, and the wind blew on his face. He felt accomplished for bringing the circle of life into balance and taking his place as king. And so, a new era had begun for him.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for supporting me, reading, faving, following, and reviewing this fanfic. I couldn't have done it without you guys. For now, I wanna take a break from writing and I'll be proofreading this story for mistakes and such. I'll be writing the sequel, so don't worry. I haven't thought of what the cover might look like for the sequel. Hopefully I won't mess up like last time.**


End file.
